Lewis was a Bengal before coaching Cincinnati
What are the chances of somebody playing for a football team nicknamed the Bengals while in college and then coaching the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals?
Pretty slim, right?
Marvin Lewis, the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, who play Indianapolis today in an AFC wild-card round playoff game, played his college ball for the Idaho State Bengals.
Lewis’ love for football, however, started at age 8, in McDonald.
“I started to play organized baseball, but my first love was football,” Lewis said.
At Fort Cherry High School, Lewis played for long-time Rangers coach Jim Garry.
“It was a great experience. We always seemed fundamentally sound. We had a great coaching staff. They were excellent teachers. I learned a lot during my
years (1973-75) at Fort Cherry,” Lewis said.
“We were pretty good, but we always seemed to finish second in our conference.”
Back then, only the conference champion could be considered for the WPIAL postseason.
Although he started his high school career as a safety, Lewis became the Rangers’ quarterback and was named all-conference his senior year.
Lewis also earned letters in baseball and wrestling.
Yes, wrestling.
“I wrestled at 185. We’ll leave it at that,” Lewis laughed.
Lewis was recruited to play football by West Virginia, Purdue, Army and Idaho State, the latter located in Pocatello.
“I really wasn’t interested in going to West Point,” Lewis admitted. “Idaho State seemed like an ideal place to play football.”
As a member of the Idaho State Bengals, Lewis played quarterback and free safety but excelled as a linebacker, earning All-Big Sky Conference honors three years (1978-80).
The talented linebacker became a linebacker coach for his alma mater from 1981 to 1984. In Lewis’ first year as a coach, the Bengals had a 12-1 record and won the NCAA Division I-AA championship, defeating Eastern Kentucky, 34-23, in the title game. He extended his college coaching career with stints at Long beach State and New Mexico.
Lewis returned to Western Pennsylvania in 1990, coaching outside linebackers at Pitt for head coach Paul Hackett.
“I loved my time at Pitt,” Lewis said.
A person important in Lewis’ football and coaching career is Bill Cowher, who played high school ball at Carlynton.
“We played against each other and attended various football camps together. It was a great relationship,” Lewis recalled.
The relationship continued when Cowher hired Lewis as the Steelers’ linebacker coach for the 1992 season. Lewis coached several outstanding linebackers, such as Pro Bowlers Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd, Chad Brown and Levon Kirkland. The Steelers’ defense during Lewis’ four years with the Steelers ranked statistically among the top three in the NFL.
“I enjoyed working under Bill Cowher,” Lewis said. “His team was always prepared –fundamentally sound.”
After a short stint in Washington as the Redskins’ assistant head coach, Lewis was hired by the Baltimore Ravens as the team’s defensive coordinator.
“We had a lot of talent, especially on defense,” Lewis said.
That defense beat the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.
Former Steeler scornerback Rod Woodson played on that Baltimore Super Bowl team.
Currently in his 12th season as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Lewis has led the Bengals to the postseason four years in a row.
“I love to coach. It’s great to work with some of the best athletes in the NFL,” he said.
Not bad for a guy who has been a Bengal for 21 years of his long football career.
Bill DiFabio writes a bi-weekly Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter about local sports history. He has a website: www.billdifabio.com.