Germany: Dresden Monarchs sign former NFL coach Paul Alexander as HC

The Dresden Monarchs of the German Football League have filled their vacant head coaching spot for the upcoming 2023 season with long time Cincinnati Bengals offensive line and assistant head coach Paul Alexander.

Alexander has spent time in Germany before as he served for the Potsdam Royals as their offensive line consultant in 2019. While it will be his second stint in Germany, it will be his first head coaching gig in his 36 years of coaching.

The 62-year-old coach spent a consecutive 27 seasons in the NFL coaching for the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys.

Alexander had most recently spent one season in Dallas during 2018 in a season where two offensive linemen, Zach Martin and Tyron Smith made the NFL Pro Bowl and running back Ezekiel Elliot would lead the league in rushing yards.

Before his one season of tenure with the Cowboys he spent 26 seasons working with the Cincinnati Bengals. Over his time there, he coached a number of Pro-Bowlers and eventual Hall of Fame offensive linemen such as Andrew Whitworth, Willie Anderson and Kevin Zeitler, just to name a few.

In 1997, Alexander’s scheme on the offensive line paved the way for rookie running back Corey Dillon to break the single game rookie rushing record where Dillon rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns in a win over the Tennessee Oilers. The record held previously by Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns had stood for 40 years.

Before his longest tenure with the Bengals, Alexander spent most of the 80s and early 90s bouncing around trying to learn from other coaches and finding the best fit for him.

Alexander’s first role as an NFL coach came from coaching tight ends with the New York Jets. During his two seasons there the team was unable to make the playoffs either season putting together a combined record of 12-20 during his two years there.

Alexander first got his start coaching as a graduate assistant at two Big Ten NCAA conference schools over four years. He spent the 1983-84 seasons with Penn State and the 1985-86 seasons with Michigan. He would get his first gig as a collegiate position coach on the staff of Central Michigan coaching offensive line for four seasons.

Alexander’s experience as an offensive lineman stretches back to high school and collegiately to SUNY Courtland where he spent three years from (1979-81). After his last season with the Red Dragons, he left his mark by being selected as an Academic All-American and was crowned as SUNY Courtland’s 1981 Men’s Athletic Association Athlete of the Year.

With his first gig as head coach, Alexander has all the credentials and experience to take over the Dresden Monarchs. With Alexander’s ability to draw up blocking schemes, look for the Monarchs to be one of the most ferocious rushing teams in the GFL for the 2023 season.