It might not be much longer before Marvin Lewis is back coaching in the NFL.
Lewis has worked at Arizona State under Herm Edwards since being let go as Bengals head coach in 2018. Lewis worked as a special advisor under Edwards in 2019 before taking on more responsibility as co-defensive coordinator this season. His tenure in that role could be short-lived, though, as Lewis could be destined for a return to the professional ranks as soon as this offseason, according to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah. That rumor prompted ex-Jet and ESPN analyst Damien Woody to tweet, “I would rather the Jets go the Marvin Lewis route than hot shot coordinator route.”
While Lewis does deserve a second chance, it shouldn’t come with Gang Green.
Adam Gase’s days as Jets head coach are undoubtedly numbered. Before long, Joe Douglas will likely be scouring the market for his replacement. There are numerous intriguing candidates to succeed Gase as New York’s head coach and while Lewis is not a bad one by any stretch, he doesn’t make much sense considering the current situation New York finds itself in.
The Jets have learned first-hand why hiring a retread coach might not be the best idea. Gase has crashed and burned in New York and the Jets have essentially become the circus of the NFL under his watch. Lewis would be a major upgrade over Gase, but his track record indicates it would be difficult for him to get New York to where it wants to ultimately be.
Lewis spent 16 years with the Bengals and did not win a single playoff game. That’s right, nearly two decades as Cincinnati’s head coach without a single postseason victory. Some of this can be attributed to bad luck (injuries to Carson Palmer, Jeremy Hill’s fumble against the Steelers in 2015, Vontaze Burfict being Vontaze Burfict in that same game). Some of the blame can be placed on Andy Dalton, who was not quite good enough to get the Bengals over the hump on numerous occasions.
The rest of the blame? That falls squarely on Lewis’ shoulders.
Jets fans would probably take seven trips to the postseason in 16 years with the way things have gone lately, but Douglas is shooting higher than simply participating in the playoffs. He wants to win big. Hiring a head coach with an 0-7 career playoff record is not exactly the best way to accomplish that.
There is no denying that Lewis is a bright football mind. He revived an essentially dormant Bengals franchise and is well respected in NFL circles for what he has achieved throughout his career. Lewis also crossed paths with Douglas when he was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator in the early 2000s and Douglas was working as a scout for Baltimore, so he has familiarity working in his favor when it comes to the Jets’ impending vacancy.
That shouldn’t be enough to land him in the Big Apple, though. The Jets need a fresh face leading them into the future, not one who is synonymous with playoff loss after playoff loss. The fact that Lewis has a defensive background also doesn’t help him, but more importantly, now is the time for New York to be bold and take a chance on a promising, young coach with the potential to take the organization to new heights.
Lewis deserves a second chance in the NFL. He just does not fall quite in line with what the Jets need out of their next head coach.