Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is looking for experience to fill out his coaching staff as he moves on from the interim role to the full-time gig.
Reports over the past couple weeks concluded that former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis could join Pierce’s staff in a more traditional role.
That has come to fruition. The Raiders have officially added Lewis as an assistant coach. This could end up being a major boon for the Raiders.
Lewis, 64, was the Bengals’ head coach from 2003-2018. He led the team to seven playoff appearances during that span.
Despite going winless in the postseason, Lewis’ vast knowledge on the defensive side of the ball promises to help a Raiders unit that improved leaps and bounds under Pierce following the in-season firing of Josh McDaniels.
Related: Who is the best fit for the Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator job?
In addition to his tenure in Cincinnati, Lewis has served as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1992-95), Baltimore Ravens (1996-2001) and Washington (2002). For a first-time head coach in Pierce who wasn’t anything more than a linebackers coach before landing the Raiders’ interim gig, this is no small thing.
It also most be noted that Lewis and Pierce have previously worked together with the Arizona State Sun Devils in college.