Marvin Lewis has spent the past 15 seasons manning the Cincinnati Bengals’ sideline. He helped turn the Bengals into perennial playoff contenders from what was a laughingstock of an organization prior to his arrival.
Now, it looks like this long marriage is on the verge of ending. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Lewis will step away from the Bengals following the season.
“After 15 seasons in Cincinnati that have made him the longest-tenured head coach in franchise history, Marvin Lewis is planning to leave the Bengals after this season to pursue opportunities elsewhere,” Schefter reported.
That’s a nice way to put it. Lewis entered this season as a lame duck after the Bengals refused to extend him during the spring. At 5-8 on the season and coming off an embarrassing home loss to the last-place Bears, the writing seemed to be on the wall for Lewis.
This will represent the second consecutive season Cincinnati has missed the playoffs after earning a trip to the second season in each of the previous five years. Overall, the Bengals appeared in the playoffs seven times under Lewis’ watch, failing to win a single playoff game during that span.
According to Schefter, Lewis will be on the radar of other teams looking at hiring new head coaches this winter. Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen.