For 16 years, from 2003 to 2018, Marvin Lewis was a mainstay in the NFL, acting as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. Then, after three consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, Lewis and the Bengals decided to mutually part ways.
Suddenly, after 12 years as an NFL coach and 16 more as a head coach, Lewis found himself without a job on any of the 32 teams. This led Lewis back to college to join Herm Edwards at Arizona State as a special advisor on the staff instead. In 2020, Lewis took on the role of co-defensive coordinator before returning to special advisor duties over the past three years.
But now, Lewis could be heading back to the NFL, thanks to a certain connection he made while with the Sun Devils.
Antonio Pierce may bring Marvin Lewis back to NFL with Las Vegas Raiders
When Marvin Lewis was on Arizona State’s staff, he crossed paths with newly-anointed Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce from 2019 to 2021. Pierce was operating as the linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator. In 2020, Pierce was promoted to the associate head coach/co-defensive coordinator role, where he worked closely alongside Lewis.
Now that Pierce will be tasked with assembling his own coaching staff on the Raiders, the expectation is that Lewis will accept a role in Las Vegas.
If Lewis does join the Raiders, it will be his first time back in the NFL since his days with the Bengals ended in 2018. For Pierce, having experienced minds like Lewis on the staff could prove invaluable as he grows into his full-time role with the Raiders. In addition to filling out the defensive coaching staff, Pierce must find a new offensive coordinator to help spark a scoring offense that ranked 23rd in the NFL this season.
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