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Marvin Lewis

Marvin Lewis Addresses Decision To Join Antonio Pierce’s Raiders Staff

June 1st, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Marvin Lewis’ NFL head coaching tenure came to an end following the 2018 season. He will be back on the sidelines this coming season, though, as a member of Antonio Pierce’s Raiders staff.

The latter took on the interim HC gig in Vegas once Josh McDaniels was fired. Pierce, 45, had only started his tenure with the organization one year ago under the title of linebackers coach. That lack of experience led to him seeking out assistance from a number of veteran staffers, including Lewis. To no surprise, the opportunity to continue that relationship was a central factor in Lewis’ decision to re-join the coaching ranks.

“I think just the opportunity to really assist AP,” the longtime Bengals coach said (via NFL.com). “From the time that I first met him and had the opportunity to coach him, and then the opportunity to kind of reunite again later on at Arizona State – so kind of was in a similar role at one point there with him there as well, being in support of him, I just have been really impressed all the time with him.”

Lewis was Washington’s defensive coordinator in 2022 when he first met Pierce as a player, and the pair worked together at Arizona State during the latter’s tenure with the Sun Devils (2018-21). Pierce oversaw a strong defensive effort to close out the 2023 campaign, earning him the endorsement of a number of players before he was hired on a full-time basis. Lewis – who will hold the title of assistant head coach – will no doubt be leaned on heavily upon his return to NFL coaching.

The 65-year-old last held a non-head coaching role in the pro ranks during his one-and-done DC gig in the nation’s capital. He drew interest on the head coaching front following the end of his Bengals tenure, but instead of holding out for another opportunity in that regard Lewis has elected to reunite with Pierce as they attempt to find success during the latest chapter of their working relationship. It will be interesting to see how they fare in 2024 during a full season at the helm.

Raiders Expected To Hire Kliff Kingsbury As Offensive Coordinator

February 1st, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Kliff Kingsbury is back in the NFL. The Raiders are expected to hire the former Cardinals head coach as their new offensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

[RELATED: Latest On Raiders’ OC Vacancy]

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reported earlier today that the Raiders were considered the front runner for Kingsbury’s services. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds that the two sides still haven’t officially agreed to a deal, although it’s expected to get done eventually.

Kingsbury spent the 2023 campaign at USC, where he served as the senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach. He worked extensively with top QB prospect Caleb Williams, guiding the former Heisman Trophy winner to a 30-touchdown, five-interception campaign. While Kingsbury obviously isn’t entirely responsible for Williams’ NFL future, the coach didn’t do anything to hurt the QB’s draft stock.

Thanks to his relative success at USC, Kingsbury seemed to brush away some of the concerns surrounding him following his disappointing end in Arizona. It was the coach’s offensive acumen that helped earn him the Cardinals head coaching job back in 2019. The team took steps forward in each of Kingsbury’s first three years at the helm, culminating in an 11-win season in 2021. However, following a 2022 campaign that saw Arizona drop to 4-13, Kingsbury was relieved of his duties.

Following his one season in the college ranks, Kingsbury returned to the coaching cycle this past offseason. He also interviewed for the Bears and Eagles OC vacancies, although both organizations decided to go in different directions. Ultimately, he managed to secure a coordinator job under Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas.

Former offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was fired back in October, but the team waited until they had a full-time HC before making a move. A number of candidates have been connected to the open gig, but we’re still learning of other coaches who were apparently interviewed for the job. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former Eagles and 49ers head coach Chip Kelly interviewed at least twice for the Raiders OC job.

We heard a few weeks ago that Kelly could be a candidate for an offensive coordinator role, although there weren’t any definitive teams connected to the veteran coach. Kelly has served as UCLA’s head coach since the 2018 campaign.

Pierce is clearly focused on adding experienced coaches to his staff. Former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has already caught on with the organization, with Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily revealing that Lewis has officially been named the Raiders assistant head coach. Further, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Raiders are also eyeing former Browns head coach Hue Jackson for an offensive coaching job. This would be a return trip for Jackson. Prior to his defining stint in Cleveland, Jackson enjoyed a one-season stint (2011) as Raiders HC, finishing 8-8.

Latest On Raiders’ OC Vacancy, Team’s GM Interview Process

January 31st, 2024 at 6:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the coaching carousel continues to spin, a number of coordinator vacancies remain open. The Raiders have yet to pair head coach Antonio Pierce with his next OC, but a number of candidates have been connected to the position.

Former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury has interviewed for three openings during the 2024 cycle, including those of the Bears and Eagles. Chicago and Philadelphia have elected to go in a different direction, but Vegas has not landed on a top candidate yet. Kingsbury interviewed with the Raiders, and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes he is expected to land a coordinator gig in Vegas or elsewhere this year (video link).

Kingsbury spent the 2023 season with USC after his Cardinals tenure ended in underwhelming fashion the year prior. He is still well-regarded with respect to his offensive acumen, Garafolo notes, making him a strong candidate to return to an NFL staff. With Pierce’s background from his playing days and coaching career coming on defense, the Raiders’ next OC will be a key figure on the team’s new staff. Kingsbury is not the only high-profile coach linked to Vegas, however.

Former Eagles and 49ers head coach Chip Kelly is believed to be “targeting” the Raiders’ OC position, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. The 60-year-old’s last NFL stint came in 2016, and he has been at the helm with UCLA ever since. A recent report cited Kelly as a candidate to return to the pro ranks this year, but he has yet to conduct any known interviews. Like Kingsbury, Kelly would offer signficant play-calling experience on a Raiders team looking to improve on offense and find stability at the quarterback position moving forward.

Of course, Pierce will be a figure to watch closely as his staff takes shape. After a well-received interim HC stint to close out the 2023 campaign, he was given the full-time position earlier this month. The Raiders were also in the midst of their general manager search when that decision was made. Further details on the process of choosing ex-Chargers GM Tom Telesco – and Pierce’s involvement in it – have emerged.

The latter sat in on the second round of interviews with each of Vegas’ three GM finalists, owner Mark Davis recently explained. Telesco, interim GM Champ Kelly and Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds conducted follow-ups with Davis and a select number of other personnel. Pierce was present for each in-person sit-down, even though Telesco’s was the only one which took place after Pierce had officially been hired.

“The initial interviews with the GMs were only them and the group of five or six that we had,” Davis said, via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur (subscription required). “Once we narrowed it down to the three finalists, I wanted to make sure that Antonio was in on those interviews as well. So, he was in all of the second interviews with the three candidates.”

The Pierce-Telesco partnership is now in place, but in addition to the OC position, there are unanswered questions on the team’s coaching staff. One of those is the role Marvin Lewis will take on. The longtime Bengals coach was one of the veteran staffers who assisted Pierce during his interim stretch, and he will stay in the organization moving forward. As Tafur notes, Lewis appears set to work with the coaching staff rather than the front office.

Plenty is yet to be determined in Las Vegas as the hiring cycle continues. The team’s search for an offensive coordinator will be worth watching closely, as will the relationship between Pierce and Telesco as they aim to give the franchise long-term stability following the failed Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler endeavor.

Raiders, Antonio Pierce Agree To HC Deal

January 19th, 2024 at 10:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mark Davis regretted passing on interim HC Rich Bisaccia two years ago. The owner is not going to let Antonio Pierce go. The Raiders and Pierce are finalizing an agreement for the linebackers coach-turned-interim leader to become the franchise’s full-time head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. A deal is now in place, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Pierce’s experience level will make this one of the most shocking HC ascensions in modern NFL history, but Raiders players — in an effort Maxx Crosby spearheaded — lobbied for Davis to elevate Pierce to the full-time role. The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker was viewed as the favorite following Crosby’s threat at requesting a trade in the event the Raiders went in another direction; Pierce is now on the doorstep of making a major climb. This probably goes without saying in light of Friday’s developments, but SI.com’s Albert Breer notes Davis placed a premium on his players’ views of the matter this time around. Per his X account, Crosby appears excited about this decision.

Pierce, 45, will become the first interim HC moved to a permanent post since the Jaguars removed Doug Marrone‘s interim tag in 2017. Teams passing on an interim leader in order to hire a flashier option has been the modern NFL norm, and far more experienced options compared to Pierce — Bisaccia included — have come and gone. While Davis greenlighting a former Josh McDaniels assistant to take over less than three months after he pulled the plug on the McDaniels era 1 1/2 seasons in, Pierce went 5-4 as interim HC and became wildly popular with Raider players.

Other teams had noticed Pierce as well. The Falcons and Titans sent out interview requests; the then-temporary Raiders leader interviewed with the Titans virtually last week. As the interest escalated, the Raiders are making one of the bolder HC moves in NFL history.

A GM will now need to be hired, and interim leader Champ Kelly having sat in on HC interviews points to the Raiders giving strong consideration to keeping their end-of-season setup in place. Though, other candidates will need to be interviewed to comply with the Rooney Rule. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds is viewed as a threat to Kelly’s grip on the job, with the Raiders not viewing Kelly-Pierce as a package deal. Kelly is believed to be meeting with Raiders brass today, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. The Raiders have already met with Kelly twice during this cycle.

Pierce’s former Giants head coach, Tom Coughlin, is set to help his ex-pupil assemble a staff, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Coughlin was among the coaches who helped Pierce once the Raiders made him interim HC. One name who is expected to be on Pierce’s next Raiders staff: Marvin Lewis. The former Bengals HC, who coached with Pierce at Arizona State and joined Coughlin and Adam Gase in helping the unseasoned leader during the season, is on track to be a Las Vegas full-timer, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

Pierce is less than two years removed from resigning from his co-defensive coordinator post at Arizona State amid an NCAA recruiting investigation. He spent four years with the Sun Devils, moving to the co-DC role in 2020, before McDaniels brought him aboard as Raiders linebackers coach shortly after his Arizona exit. As recently as 2017, Pierce was the head coach of Long Beach Poly High.

That said, Pierce’s coaching experience does not trail new Patriots HC Jerod Mayo‘s by too much. While Mayo has been viewed as the Bill Belichick heir apparent for at least two years, he only began work as a full-time Patriots staffer in 2019. This HC hiring period has featured 2000s and 2010s linebackers take starring roles.

Still, Davis passing on at least interviewing higher-profile coaching options — considering those now available — is rather surprising. The Raiders’ search committee only met with ex-Bills DC Leslie Frazier and former Seahawks and Saints DC Kris Richard. Those two meetings satisfied the Rooney Rule. Although Pierce is also Black, this process reminds of when Davis went through with only Rooney Rule interviews as he brought back Jon Gruden in 2018. The Raiders will pass on efforts to interview Belichick, ex-Oakland assistant Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel. While a Raiders Harbaugh push was rumored, Pierce quickly seized the lead here.

As Pierce takes the unusual route of rising to a head coach position without being a college head coach or an NFL coordinator, he will be assembling a new staff. Most of Pierce’s offensive staff will not be retained, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The Raiders fired OC Mick Lombardi soon after they canned McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler on November 1, installing Bo Hardegree as their offensive play-caller. Hardegree is among the staffers not expected to stay in Las Vegas, per Rapoport. Considering Pierce was elevated to the interim job instead of DC Patrick Graham, it would surprise if the latter stayed on as well.

Momentum crested for Pierce to be hired after the Raiders upended the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas Day. That came just after the team bashed the Chargers, leading them to fire their HC-GM combo, in a 63-21 rout. Behind Pierce and Graham, the Raiders finished in the top half of the league in scoring defense for the first time since the 2002 Super Bowl season. Graham’s unit ranked ninth, which came after Vegas’ 2022 defense finished 26th.

The team finished 8-9 despite Aidan O’Connell largely struggling in his second-half audition; the team ranked 23rd in points scored and 27th in total offense. The Raiders’ to-be-determined GM should be expected to make a genuine quarterback pursuit.

The Raiders undeniably turned their operation around following McDaniels’ ouster, though this will be a gamble due to Pierce’s limited experience. Pierce grew up a Raider fan in Los Angeles, and Davis is believed to have appreciated the young leader’s grasp of the team’s culture and history. While Davis was connected to taking another big swing for the HC gig, his past two — Gruden and McDaniels — did not succeed. The Raiders have just two winning seasons since Super Bowl XXXVII; Pierce will be tasked with turning the operation around. With Davis giving McDaniels and Ziegler less than two years — after signing the pair to six-year contracts — it is worth monitoring how long of a leash Pierce will have.

As for Lewis, he has been out of the NFL since the Bengals fired him following the 2018 season. The former Super Bowl-winning DC has not been an NFL assistant since 2002, coaching the Bengals for 16 seasons. Lewis’ longevity made him a somewhat divisive figure during that stint, as playoff losses mounted, but he has interviewed for NFL HC jobs in the years since his Cincinnati dismissal. Lewis, 65, looks likely to be one of Pierce’s top aides for the 2024 season.

Champ Kelly Gaining Support To Remain Raiders’ GM; Team Eyeing High-Level Football Ops Staffer

December 22nd, 2023 at 10:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

When the Raiders signed up for a Patriot Way blueprint, they added Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler together. Mark Davis‘ upcoming HC-GM search will likely feature a different approach.

Indicating he would want his GM hire to have some say in the team’s HC choice, Davis said the Raiders will plan to hire their top front office exec first, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. While the owner stopped short of ensuring that is how the Raiders’ next round of searches will unfold, he said that will be the likely play (subscription required).

Davis cut the cord on the Ziegler-McDaniels partnership in the middle of the night, canning both hours after the Halloween trade deadline. Champ Kelly and Antonio Pierce are serving in those roles for the time being. It should be expected, barring a freefall over this season’s final three games, both will have a shot to see their interim tags removed. Kelly is viewed around the league as a legitimate candidate to keep his job, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes.

A well-regarded exec, Kelly interviewed for the job Ziegler received in 2022. We heard just after the firings that Kelly had support to ascend to the full-time role. Unlike Pierce, Kelly has a long track record as an NFL staffer. After a five-year tenure as the Broncos’ assistant pro personnel director — a run he began during McDaniels’ infamous Denver tenure — Kelly spent six years with the Bears, finishing out his run as their assistant director of player personnel.

The Raiders hired Kelly, 43, to be their assistant GM shortly after going with Ziegler to lead the way, though SI.com’s Albert Breer notes fellow 2022 interviewee Ed Dodds impressed as well. Dodds has been the Colts’ assistant GM for the past seven years. Dodds has been a popular name on the GM interview circuit in recent years, though he did not interview for any positions in 2023.

Although Pierce and Kelly are both Black, the Raiders will still need to follow Rooney Rule procedures during their search. Two external minority candidates or women are required to interview for teams’ HC and GM positions. At the league meetings last week, buzz pointed to Davis being more likely to retain Kelly than Pierce, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. This makes sense given Pierce’s limited experience. The ex-Giants Super Bowl-winning linebacker has no NFL coaching experience prior to his Raiders gig, separating this situation from Davis’ call to pass on longtime ST coordinator-turned-interim HC Rich Bisaccia in 2022.

Recently, Pierce had his former Giants coach (Tom Coughlin), along with Adam Gase and ex-Arizona State coworker Marvin Lewis, in the building. The trio sat in on Raiders meetings and offered input on all team aspects, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, with Pierce attempting to gain intel from experienced HCs as he attempts to make a case for the full-time job. Coughlin and Lewis have counseled Pierce since the Raiders named him interim HC, Rapoport adds. No interim head coach has ascended to a full-time position since the Jaguars removed Doug Marrone‘s interim tag in 2017.

Regardless of the Raiders’ decisions regarding their interim staffers, a third power broker may enter the equation soon. Citing Hall of Famer Ron Wolf‘s impact as a scout during his 11-year tenure with the Raiders — ahead of a successful run as the Packers’ GM — Davis alluded to a non-GM hire having a significant say in the next Raider regime.

“I think that the triumvirate in that regard worked very well together,” Mark Davis said (via Reed) of his father, Wolf and the Raiders’ HCs. “People think that their egos were all out there, but there was no ego at all. It was about who could they give to the coach to help him do his job and be great. Today, I don’t know.

“Because I don’t have that ability that my father had in judging talent. So, that’s a missing piece to the puzzle, so to speak, is a solid football mind that isn’t the GM or the head coach. And I think that’s a piece that’s probably going to be necessary somewhere down the line is bringing in somebody that understands that football that’s above the day-to-day work.”

The Raiders hiring a high-level football operations exec would stand to limit the GM’s power. This was the case when the Jaguars hired Coughlin to work above Dave Caldwell in 2017, and the Dolphins used this setup with Mike Tannenbaum and GM Chris Grier from 2016-18. Mark Davis, however, has struggled throughout his ownership tenure. Eight HCs have stopped through Oakland and Las Vegas since Al Davis‘ death in 2011; the team has two winning seasons since its Super Bowl XXXVII appearance 21 years ago. Bringing in an additional voice would be an interesting effort on the owner’s part. Although the GM and HC hires will generate the most attention, a third pillar coming in would represent a significant development.

Given McDaniels’ experience, it was assumed the three-time Super Bowl-winning OC was running the show during his brief Las Vegas tenure. Ziegler, however, was believed to have the final say on the 53-man roster. Davis confirmed this was the case but stopped short of indicating Ziegler wielded that power regularly.

“I think there’s been a misconception on the last head coach and general manager and who had the authority,” Davis said. “Lately, some articles have come out making it seem like the head coach had more authority on that, and that’s the furthest thing from the truth. The general manager had the final authority on all of it. Whether he accepted that authority or not is a different story, but it was very clear when they were hired where the buck stopped.”

The McDaniels-Ziegler duo’s shortcomings will undoubtedly be on Davis’ mind as he determines the franchise’s course for the mid-2020s and beyond.

Latest On Panthers’ HC Plans

December 16th, 2022 at 10:45am CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers’ climb back into relative contention — due to the NFC South’s collective struggles — stands to boost Steve Wilks‘ chances of becoming the first interim HC to stay on as his team’s full-time leader in six years. But that is not considered the most likely path for the Panthers.

Carolina may be set to conduct an expansive search to replace Matt Rhule. The team is being linked to wanting an offensive-minded assistant, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, while also valuing experience. Previously mentioned as wanting to replace Rhule with someone that has head-coaching experience, Panthers owner David Tepper continues to be linked retread options as well.

Frank Reich, Dan Quinn, Marvin Lewis and Leslie Frazier — in the event an unlikely intra-division trade for Sean Payton is a no-go — are being mentioned as names on the Panthers’ radar, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com adds, while also noting the team should be expected to be connected to up-and-coming OC types. This sets up a wide-net scenario for the Panthers, which makes sense after Tepper prioritized Rhule in 2020 and gave him a mega-deal to come up from the college ranks. While the Panthers will be free of that seven-year, $62MM contract by next year, Tepper’s initial hire proved to be a misstep.

When a September report indicated Tepper was seeking a former head coach to replace Rhule, Reich was not yet available. The five-year Colts HC being on the market and hoping to secure a second chance could change the equation. Frazier is also believed to be on the Colts’ radar, in the event they want a more experienced option compared to Jeff Saturday.

Quinn, Lewis and Frazier are each defensive-minded options. Quinn, who signed a Cowboys extension after his stint on this year’s coaching carousel, interviewed with five teams for HC jobs this year and turned down a Jaguars interview opportunity. In his sixth season as the Bills’ DC, Frazier joined Quinn in interviewing for the Bears, Dolphins and Giants jobs this year. The ex-Vikings HC has also rebuilt his stock to the point he could receive a second chance nearly 10 years after his first one ended. Holding by far the most coaching experience of this lot, Lewis (16 years as the Bengals’ HC) has not been a mainstay on recent coaching carousels. He spent the past three seasons on Herm Edwards‘ Arizona State staff. The Sun Devils fired Edwards during this season.

The Panthers have employed five offensive coordinators during Tepper’s five-season stay, twice making changes in-season. Going with an offense-oriented coach would make sense for stability and quarterback development, as the team would not run the risk of its play-caller being hired away. The Panthers have never hired an NFL OC to be their head coach, going from Dom Capers to George Seifert to John Fox to Ron Rivera to Rhule. Though, Rhule’s background — almost all of it at the college level — was on the offensive side of the ball.

Carolina sits one game behind Tampa Bay for first place in a division featuring four sub-.500 teams, but Wilks is 4-4 since replacing Rhule. The Charlotte native and former Cardinals one-and-done HC has increased his chances of getting a long look at the full-time gig, but Breer expects Tepper to go with his own coach once the hiring period begins. It will be interesting, however, if the Panthers turn this rally into a playoff berth. That would stand to make Tepper’s decision more difficult.

2021 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 15th, 2021 at 1:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Exiting the regular season, six teams are searching for new head coaches. That number is up from last season but not quite as high as 2019, though there may well be more vacancies that emerge during the playoffs.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 1-27-21 (7:05pm CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Jets Meet With Marvin Lewis

January 7th, 2021 at 1:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets interviewed Marvin Lewis for their head coaching vacancy on Thursday, per a club announcement. This marks’ Lewis third interview, following chats with the Texans and Lions. 

Lewis is best known for his time as the Bengals’ head coach and the Ravens’ defensive coordinator before that. His most recent stop was in Arizona State, where he served as the co-DC under one-time Jets HC Herman Edwards.

Lewis’ career 131-122-3 regular season record doesn’t get fans too excited, nor does 0-7 playoff record. Still, his Bengals teams won the AFC North four times, and he remains a well-respected defensive mind. The Jets are at least interested in the experienced head coach, though they’re also willing to consider an up-and-comer like Aaron Glenn. In addition to Lewis and their longtime cornerback, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith are also among those on the radar.

None of the candidates will be directly interviewed by owner Woody Johnson, though he will reportedly be kept in the loop.

Lions Interview Marvin Lewis For HC

January 3rd, 2021 at 11:42am CST by Rory Parks

Thus far, the Lions’ GM search has generated more headlines than their hunt for a new head coach, but their HC pursuit will soon kick into high gear. Detroit started that process by interviewing longtime Bengals HC Marvin Lewis several days ago, as Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report.

[RELATED: Lions to pursue Seahawks GM John Schneider]

Lewis interviewed with the Texans for their HC vacancy last month, so the 62-year-old appears to be firmly back on the NFL radar. He currently serves as the co-defensive coordinator on Herm Edwards‘ staff at Arizona State.

The defensive acumen that he displayed while working as the Ravens’ DC from 1996-01 helped Lewis secure the Cincinnati gig in 2003, a position he held for 16 seasons. Though his 0-7 record in the postseason has garnered plenty of attention and ultimately contributed to Lewis’ ouster, the fact that he got the formerly moribund Bengals to the playoffs seven times during his tenure was in and of itself a major accomplishment.

Detroit is considering a wide variety of candidates for its HC post. Robert Saleh, the current 49ers defensive coordinator, is said to be high atop the team’s wish-list, but the Lions are also considering offensive-minded coaches. Chiefs offensive coordinator and hot commodity Eric Bieniemy is a target, as is Titans OC Arthur Smith.

Peter Schrager of the NFL Network reports that Saleh, Bieniemy, and interim HC Darrell Bevell are expected to interview this week (Twitter link).

This Date In Transactions History: Bengals Sign HC Marvin Lewis To Two-Year Extension

January 2nd, 2021 at 11:07am CST by Ben Levine

On this date in 2018, Cincinnati fans weren’t too high on Marvin Lewis. The Bengals head coach had just missed the postseason for the second-straight season, but it’s not like anyone would have had much faith in the team had they found a way to sneak into the playoffs. After all, Lewis had (and still has) his infamous 0-7 playoff record, with the head coach guiding the organization to first-round exits every year between the 2011 and 2015 campaigns.

So, with the team having only won 13 combined games between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, it only seemed natural to move on from Lewis, right? Nah. Instead, on January 2nd, 2018, the Bengals signed Lewis to a two-year extension that would last through the 2019 campaign. As an aside, Lewis had traditionally inked one-year extensions with the organization, so the two-year pact was met with plenty of ire.

A Bleacher Report article said the extension was a “commitment to mediocrity,” while Will Brinson of CBS Sports described the move as “stunning.” If you want a take on fan reactions, you can check out the comments section of our own article.

Lewis and the organization didn’t do much to calm fans’ nerves when discussing the extension. The coach acknowledged that he probably would have been fired in any other city (per USA Today), while Bengals President Mike Brown admitted that the team had recently “fallen short of our expectations.”

“My job is to win a World Championship,” Lewis said in a statement that day. “We have a talented roster full of veteran leaders and emerging young stars, and I am committed to making the necessary improvements to put this team in the best position to win.”

Critics of the extension were punching air through the five weeks of the 2018 season. With Lewis serving as the second longest-tenured head coach in the NFL (behind Bill Belichick), the Bengals held the top spot in the AFC North with a 4-1 record, and they entered their bye week at 5-3. Then the wheels fell off. The Bengals dropped five consecutive contests and finished the season with a 6-10 record. Raise your hand if you know what happened next. The Bengals and Lewis decided to mutually part ways with a year remaining on the coach’s contract.

Cincinnati bottomed out in 2019 with new head coach Zac Taylor at the helm, allowing them to snag Joe Burrow with the top pick. Lewis hasn’t really committed to returning to the NFL, but he’s still been connected to a number of openings. Over the past few years, Lewis has been linked to head coaching gigs in Washington and Dallas, and he interviewed for the lead position with the Texans in late December. The 62-year-old has been on the Arizona State coaching staff for the past two seasons.

When the extensions was signed three years ago today, Lewis and the Bengals organization probably weren’t envisioning their present-day status. Everyone else? I think we all saw this coming.

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