Sean Desai is in his first season with Cincinnati and his 13th as an NFL coach. He joined the Bengals' staff in 2025 as senior defensive assistant.
Desai came to Cincinnati from the L.A. Rams, where he spent the 2024 season as senior defensive assistant. With Desai on staff, the Rams' defense improved in nearly every metric in the second half of the season compared to the first, including total net yards per game allowed, net passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed and points allowed. The second-half defensive turnaround helped L.A. vault from a 4-5 start to a 10-7 final record and the NFC West Division title. Desai also assisted with the Rams' QBs and helped scheme an offense that ranked 10th leaguewide in net passing yards per game (227.5).
Prior to his stint with the Rams, Desai served as defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. He guided the Eagles' defense to top-10 NFL rankings in rushing yards allowed (103.4 per game; 10th) and rushing TDs allowed (13; 10th). Working with Desai, OLB Haason Reddick posted a team-best 11 sacks and earned his second career Pro Bowl selection. Joining Reddick at the Pro Bowl was CB Darius Slay, whose team-leading 15 PDs tied for seventh in the NFL.
Desai spent the 2022 season as associate head coach and defensive assistant for the Seattle Seahawks. He helped the Seahawks' defense rank fourth leaguewide in forced fumbles (15), seventh in sacks (45) and eighth in takeaways (25). A pair of defensive backs were voted to the Pro Bowl, as rookie CB Tariq Woolen tied for the league lead with six INTs and S Quandre Diggs posted 71 tackles and four picks.
Desai spent nine seasons (2013-21) in various roles with the Chicago Bears, including defensive coordinator for the '21 campaign. That year, he led a Bears defense that ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in total yards allowed (316.7 per game; sixth), passing yards allowed (191.6; third) and first downs per game allowed (18.9; seventh). Under Desai's tutelage, veteran OLB Robert Quinn broke Chicago's single-season sack record (18.5; second in NFL) and earned AP second-team All-Pro honors.
Desai served as safeties coach for Chicago from 2019-20, after spending the '13-18 seasons as a defensive quality control coach. In 2020, he oversaw a Bears safeties room that helped hold opponents to 231.6 net passing yards per game, the 12th-best average in the league. In 2019, he coached S Eddie Jackson to his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod, while also helping Chicago rank ninth leaguewide in passing defense (222.1 yards allowed per game).
In his six seasons as quality control coach for the Bears, Desai primarily worked with the team's defensive backs and linebackers, while also assisting the special teams coaches.
Desai made the jump to the NFL after spending six years (2007-12) in the college ranks. He served as running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Boston College in 2012, helping the Eagles lead the NCAA in punt return average with 21.7 yards per return. He worked in an administrative role at the University of Miami (Fla.) in 2011, serving as assistant director of football operations.
Desai broke into coaching at Temple University from 2007-10, where he served as a graduate assistant from '07-09 before being elevated to special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach in '10. He was on Temple's staff while current Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden was the Owls' head coach. In 2009, the Owls recorded their longest winning streak in program history (nine), en route to a Mid-American Conference East Division Co-Championship and their first bowl game appearance in 30 years.
Desai was born in Shelton, Conn., on April 21, 1983. He earned his doctorate in educational administration, with an emphasis in higher education, from Temple in May of 2008. He then served as an adjunct professor at Temple in '09 and '10, teaching in the master's and doctoral programs in education administration. He and his wife, Ojus, have two sons and a daughter. Last name is pronounced "deh-SIGH."
Playing and coaching history: 2007-09—Graduate assistant coach, Temple. 2010—Assistant coach (AC), Temple. 2011—Football operations, Miami (Fla.). 2012—AC, Boston College. 2013-20—AC, Chicago Bears. 2021—Defensive coordinator, Chicago Bears. 2022—AC, Seattle Seahawks. 2023—Defensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles. 2024—AC, L.A. Rams. 2025—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.
