CINCINNATI -- Bill "Tiger" Johnson, former head coach for the Bengals, died at his home in Fort Myers, Fla., after a long illness, the team announced Friday. He was 84.
Johnson was on the original Bengals staff in 1968 and spent 17 years with the team, three of them as head coach. He coached the offensive line under Paul Brown before succeeding him.
Johnson went 18-15 from 1976 to 1977 and the first five games of 1978. He returned to coach tight ends from 1985 to 1990.
The Texas native was a center for the San Francisco 49ers. He also was on staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1979-82) and Detroit Lions (1983-84).
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
