Mark Carrier, a three-time Pro Bowl selection as an NFL safety, joined the Bengals on Feb. 13 of this year as defensive backs coach.
Mark Carrier, a three-time Pro Bowl selection as an NFL safety, joined the Bengals on Feb. 13 of this year as defensive backs coach.
Carrier is entering his seventh year as an NFL position coach. He spent the last two seasons (2010-11) as defensive line coach for the New York Jets and was defensive backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens from 2006-09.
“Mark is a great choice for us as he moves back to his old position, coaching the defensive secondary,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “He experienced success as a coach with two fine NFL defenses, and he will do very well with our group.”
In 2011, Carrier’s defensive line helped the Jets finish fifth in the NFL in fewest yards allowed per game (312.1), fifth in fewest yards allowed per play (5.0) and seventh in fewest yards allowed per rushing play (3.9). In 2010, the Jets finished third in the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed and third in fewest yards per rushing play.
During Carrier’s term as defensive backs coach in Baltimore, the Ravens had the NFL’s second-most interceptions (93), with S Ed Reed performing as one of the league’s premier players. Reed earned Pro Bowl selections in each of his four years playing under Carrier, and in 2008, Reed was the only unanimous selection to the prestigious Associated Press All-Pro team.
Carrier will bring an aggressive approach to his work with Bengals DBs.
"The way the game is played now, you just can't sit back,” he says. “You have to force the action. If you don't, the way the quarterbacks and the rules are, it's just too tough. You have to be disciplined, but you still have to make things happen."
As a player, Carrier was a standout safety over 11 seasons for Chicago, Detroit and Washington, earning three Pro Bowl selections. He was an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year selection in 1990, when Chicago made him the sixth overall pick in the draft. He also went to the Pro Bowl with the Bears after the 1991 and ’93 seasons, and he opened his career by playing in 108 consecutive games, not missing a contest due to injury until his seventh campaign.
As a Detroit player, Carrier twice received the team’s Joe Schmidt Leadership Award, named for the Lions Hall of Fame linebacker.
He finished his NFL career with 168 games played, 164 starts, 32 interceptions, 111 passes defensed, 16 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries and 556 tackles.
He played in college at Southern California and won the 1989 Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the player voted the nation’s top defensive back.
Carrier’s hometown is Lake Charles, La. He and his wife, Andrea, have a son (Mac) and a daughter (Lexi).
Mark established the MacKids Foundation in honor of his son, to raise money for causes including disaster relief. In 2001 and 2002, before beginning his career in coaching, he worked as a full-time sports commentator with various radio and TV outlets, including a role as co-host of the pregame and postgame shows on the USC Football Radio Network. He prepped for his media work by serving in a part-time role during his playing career as an on-air personality with two Chicago television stations.
PLAYING AND COACHING HISTORY – 1987-89: Played S at Southern California. 1990-96: NFL safety, Chicago Bears. 1997-99: NFL safety, Detroit Lions. 2000: NFL safety, Washington Redskins. 2003: Assistant coach (AC), Brophy College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.). 2004-05: AC, Arizona State. 2006-09: AC, Baltimore Ravens. 2010-11: AC, New York Jets. 2012: Joins Bengals.
