After a year away, Marvin Lewis is back on the sidelines. Just not in the NFL.
The longtime Cincinnati Bengals coach was named the co-defensive coordinator at Arizona State on Tuesday, sharing the position with former New York Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce.
After Cincinnati cut ties with Lewis following the 2018 season, the veteran coach wound up as a special advisor to coach Herman Edwards and the Sun Devils. Lewis filled in as interim defensive backs coach during ASU's win in the 2019 Sun Bowl. Pierce was ASU's linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator for the past two seasons.
This is Lewis' first official return to coaching since the Bengals fired him on New Year's Eve, 2018.
At NFLPA Collegiate Bowl practice on Jan. 14, where Lewis coached the National Team to victory, he told NFL.com's Jelani Scott that he intended to return to Arizona State in 2020.Â
"I'm going to continue on doing what I did with coach Edwards at Arizona State," Lewis said. "I'm excited to continue to assist those guys there in anything that he needs me to do."
Lewis compiled a 131-122-3 record in 16 years as Bengals head coach. The all-time franchise leader in wins, Lewis led Cincinnati to four division titles and seven playoff appearances.
The Bengals coach was interviewed for the Cowboys' head coaching vacancy in January, but the job went to another former head coach: Mike McCarthy.
Perhaps a promising stint overseeing a Power 5 defense will help get Lewis back in the league.
