Mike Zimmer (born June 5, 1956 in Peoria, Illinois) is the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. He is the son of former NFL player Bill Zimmer and the father of Adam Zimmer, the defensive assistant/linebackers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.

In high school, Zimmer was a successful multi-sport athlete who earned all-conference honors in football (1972–73), baseball, and wrestling at Lockport Township High School. He enrolled at Illinois State University, majoring in physical education. He played quarterback in 1974, but he redshirted the following year and moved to linebacker in 1976 after breaking his thumb. A neck injury prematurely ended his playing career that same year.

Zimmer's first coaching job was as a part-time defensive assistant at the University of Missouri from 1979–1980. He then coached at Weber State College from 1981-1988, serving as the inside linebackers coach from 1981–84, the defensive backs coach from 1985–88, and the defensive coordinator from 1983–88. From 1989-1993, Zimmer served as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Washington State Cougars. In 1993, the Cougars defense ranked eighth in the nation in total defense and second in rushing defense.

Paul Gardner Allen (born January 21, 1953) is an American investor and philanthropist best known as the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, a leading developer of personal-computer software systems and applications. He is also the 48th richest person in the world along with Germán Larrea Mota-Velasco (and family) who ranks the same with an estimated wealth of $14.2 billion as of March 2012.. He is the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc., which manages his business and philanthropic efforts. Allen also has a multi-billion dollar investment portfolio which includes technology companies, real estate holdings, and stakes in other technology, media, and content companies. Allen also owns two professional sports teams, the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), and the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also part-owner of the Seattle Sounders FC, which joined Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2009. Allen's memoir Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft was released on April 19, 2011.

Cristopher D. Carter (born November 25, 1965) is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles (1987–89), the Minnesota Vikings (1990–2001) and the Miami Dolphins (2002).

After starting for the Ohio State University Buckeyes, Carter was drafted by the Eagles in the 4th round of the 1987 NFL supplemental draft. While in Philadelphia, head coach Buddy Ryan helped to coin one of ESPN's Chris Berman's famous quotes about Carter: "All he does is catch touchdowns." He was let go by Ryan in 1989, however, due to off-the-field issues. Carter was signed by the Vikings and turned his life and career around, becoming a two-time First-team, one-time Second-team All-Pro and playing in 8 straight Pro Bowls. When he left the Vikings after 2001, he held most of the team career receiving records. He briefly played for the Dolphins in 2002 before retiring.

Since retiring from the NFL, Carter has worked as an analyst on HBO's Inside the NFL, ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown, and online at Yahoo Sports. He also works as an assistant coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where his son played wide receiver. Carter resides in Boca Raton, Florida. He is the brother of former NBA player and coach Butch Carter.

Jay Gruden (born March 4, 1967) is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and was formerly the head coach of the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He is also a decorated player and coach in Arena Football League history, winning four ArenaBowls as a player and two more as a head coach. Gruden is also the brother of former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach and current Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden.

Gruden attended George D. Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Florida, where he played quarterback for the Chiefs under head coach Billy Turner.

Gruden was a four-year letterman at Louisville (1985–1988). He finished his collegiate career with 7,024 passing yards, completing 572 of 1049 passes for 44 touchdowns. All four stats still rank in the top five in Cardinals' history. As a senior, Gruden led the team to an 8–3 mark, their first winning season in 10 years.

Gruden won four ArenaBowl titles as the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Storm. He was the Arena League MVP in the 1992 season.

Charlie R. Strong (born August 2, 1960) is an American college football coach and former player. Strong is a native of Arkansas and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas, where he played college football. He currently serves as the head coach for the University of Louisville Cardinals football team, and has previously held assistant coach and defensive coordinator positions with six different college football teams, most notably the University of Florida Gators football team.

Charlie Strong was born in Batesville, Arkansas. After lettering for four years (1980–1983) at the University of Central Arkansas, Strong joined the Gators coaching staff as a graduate assistant in 1984. He later served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M in 1985. His first full-time coaching job was at Southern Illinois in 1986, where he coached wide receivers. He later assumed defensive coaching duties at Florida, Ole Miss, and Notre Dame. He also received a master's degree and education specialist degree from the University of Florida. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.