Troy Walters is in his fourth season with the Bengals and third as wide receivers coach, after joining the staff as assistant WRs coach in 2020.
In 2022, Walters once again oversaw a dynamic receiving corps featuring Tyler Boyd, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Each player missed action due to injury but still managed to record at least 700 receiving yards, making the Bengals one of two NFL teams with three WRs to reach that mark. Chase led Cincinnati in receptions (87), receiving yards (1046) and receiving TDs (nine) to earn his second Pro Bowl selection, while Higgins (1029) eclipsed the 1000-yard plateau for a second straight season.
In 2021, Boyd, Chase and Higgins combined for 3374 receiving yards, the most by any trio in the NFL. Chase, the team's first-round draft pick, posted the most receiving yards by a rookie in the Super Bowl era (1455) en route to being named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Higgins added 1091 yards on 74 catches, while Boyd notched 67 grabs for 828 yards. Chase went on to record 368 receiving yards in the Bengals' run to Super Bowl LVI, setting both a team postseason record and an NFL rookie postseason record.
Serving as assistant WRs coach for the Bengals in 2020, Walters helped guide Higgins to 67 catches for 908 yards and six TDs in his rookie campaign.
Prior to the Bengals, Walters spent two seasons (2018-19) as offensive coordinator at the University of Nebraska. The 2018 Cornhuskers averaged 456.2 yards per game, second-most in the Big Ten and 71.2 yards more than the '17 team (385.0).
Walters served as offensive coordinator at the University of Central Florida from 2016-17. He inherited the FBS' 127th-ranked offense and 125th-ranked scoring offense from 2015, but by '17 had the Knights ranked fifth in yards per game (530.5) and first in scoring (48.2). In 2017, he helped guide UCF to a 13-0 record and was named a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach.
Walters spent 2013-15 as receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Colorado, where he tutored the program's top three single-season receptions leaders and top-two receiving yardage leaders. One of his protégés, Nelson Spruce, left Colorado with 41 school records, and another, future NFL second-round pick Paul Richardson, became the first CU receiver in two nearly two decades to earn all-conference honors.
Serving as WRs coach at North Carolina State in 2012, Walters helped the Wolfpack rank 18th nationally in receiving yards per game. He coached wide receivers at Texas A&M from 2010-11, working alongside current Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who at the time was the Aggies' tight ends coach. While at A&M, Walters helped Aggies WR Ryan Swope set school records for catches (89) and receiving yards (1207).
Walters broke into coaching at Indiana State University in 2009, where he served as offensive coordinator while also coaching quarterbacks and receivers.
A four-year standout as a wide receiver at Stanford University (1996-99), Walters ended his collegiate career as the Pac-12 conference's all-time leader in receiving yards (4047). He set Stanford career records for receptions (244) and 100-yard receiving games (19), as well as single-season records for catches (86 in 1997) and receiving yards (1456 in '99), and a single-game record for receiving yards (278 vs. UCLA in '99). In 1999, he won the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's top receiver.
Following Stanford, Walters was selected in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He went on to also play for the Colts, Cardinals and Lions, and over eight NFL seasons totaled 98 catches for 1135 yards and nine TDs, as well as more than 3800 return yards.
Born Dec. 15, 1976, in Bloomington, Ind., Walters attended Consolidated High School in College Station, Texas. He holds two degrees from Stanford — a bachelor's in communications (1999) and a masters in sociology (2000). He and his wife, Josephine, have two sons, Tate and Wynn, and two daughters, Faith and Landri.
Playing and coaching history: 1995-99—Played wide receiver at Stanford. 2000-01—Played wide receiver with Minnesota Vikings. 2002-05—Played wide receiver with Indianapolis Colts. 2006—Played wide receiver with Arizona Cardinals. 2007—Played wide receiver with Detroit Lions. 2009—Assistant coach (AC), Indiana State. 2010-11—AC, Texas A&M. 2012—AC, North Carolina State. 2013-15—AC, Colorado. 2016-17—Offensive coordinator, Central Florida. 2018-19—Offensive coordinator, Nebraska. 2020-present—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.
