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The Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday hired longtime NFL offensive assistant Mike Sheppard as their new wide receivers coach.

	Sheppard

Sheppard, 55, replaces Hue Jackson, who left the Bengals last week to become offensive coordinator for first-year Atlanta Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino.

Cincinnati will become the seventh different team for which Sheppard, who has coached every "skill" position on the offensive side of the ball, has worked. Sheppard and Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis have worked together at several stops in the past.

"I've coached alongside Mike in the NFL, and I coached under him in college," Lewis said. "We know each other very well and are excited to be able to work together again."

Most recently, Sheppard was the wide receivers coach in New Orleans (2002-2005), but lost his job when the Saints fired Jim Haslett and his staff following the 2005 season.

He began his pro coaching career as a wide receivers assistant with the Cleveland Browns in 1993, and moved with the franchise to Baltimore (1996). Sheppard was offensive coordinator in San Diego (1997-98), quarterbacks coach in Seattle (1999-2000), and coordinator with the Buffalo Bills (2001).

Sheppard has an extensive college resume as well, coaching at eight different schools. As the head coach at Long Beach State in 1985, Sheppard hired Lewis as his linebackers coach. He hired him again at New Mexico in 1987. The two also worked together with the Ravens.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .