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While Hofstra’s Raheem Morris will be manning the Los Angeles Rams defense this Super Bowl, a Long Island connection can be found on the Bengals’ defensive side as well.
Louie Cioffi, a 1991 graduate of John Glenn High School, is the Cincinnati Bengals defensive quality control coach.
Cioffi was wide receivers coach at C.W. Post University in Brookville, N.Y. in 1995 and ’96. The 1996 team won the ECAC Division II championship.
Bryan Collins, former head coach at C.W. Post (now named LIU), told Greater Long Island he’s not surprised at Cioffi’s success.
“Lou was a young man who worked on everything in order to make himself a better football coach.” Collins said. “No task was too big or too small. He was ahead of the curve in understanding the use of the computer and mastering the analytics that lead to successful planning. That ultimately got him into the league and he just continued to work hard.”
Prior to his time with the Pioneers, Cioffi served in 1993-94 as a 20 and 21-year-old assistant to Bruce Coslet’s coaching staff on the New York Jets.
This is Cioffi’s 23rd season in the NFL. He was hired by the Bengals this past offseason. He’s coaching under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, a Staten Island native, who also has local ties. Anarumo coached at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point from 1992-94.
Cioffi joined up with his fellow New Yorker Anarumo for his second tenure with the Bengals. From 1997 to 2010, he served as an assistant defensive coach in Cincy.
Cioffi’s other notable NFL coaching experience came as a defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (2016) and defensive backs coach for the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals. Click here for his full resume.
Cioffi, born in Queens in 1973, also attended Stony Brook University. His parents still live on Long Island, residing in Greenlawn.
Super Bowl details
Super Bowl 56 is being held Sunday, Feb. 13, at the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The game will be broadcasted on NBC and can be streamed on its digital platform Peacock.
Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.
The halftime show will be by performed by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar, with Sean Forbes and Warren Snipe.
related coverage
Top: Louie Cioffi with the Cincinnati Bengals. (credit: bengals.com)
