Takeo Spikes Endorses Marvin Lewis: 'Why Wouldn’t You Consider Hiring Marvin?'

Spikes never played for Marvin Lewis, but respects the former Bengals head coach

CINCINNATI — Former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is interested in returning to the NFL. 

The 62-year-old is currently the co-defensive coordinator at Arizona State on Herm Edwards' staff. 

Lewis posted a 131-122 record during his 16 seasons with the Bengals. After two years away from the NFL, multiple teams are reportedly interested in talking to him about their potential head coaching vacancy. 

Former Bengals linebacker Takeo Spikes never played for Lewis, but he endorsed him during an appearance on CBS Sports Radio. 

“He should get an opportunity,” Spikes said on the Zach Gelb Show. “You’re looking for a guy who is a leader of men and a guy who you want to come in and change the culture, one; [and] two, provide simple solutions, which are presented as complicated problems, to a team from top down, why wouldn’t you give him an opportunity if he was able to do that in Cincinnati?”

There's no denying that Lewis helped the Bengals become relevant again after the lost decade of the 90s. 

Spikes played for Cincinnati from 1998-2002. He signed with the Bills as a free agent instead of sticking around to see if Lewis could turn the tide.

Cincinnati posted a 2-14 record in 2002. Lewis was 8-8 in each of his first two seasons with the club. The Bengals went 11-5 and won the AFC North in his third season.

The big blemish was Lewis' 0-7 postseason record. 

“Now, did he win any playoff games? No, but he brought hope back into the city. He brought hope back into the players," Spikes said. "Looking at some of the guys who played for him – Carson [Palmer], Willie Anderson, all of these guys who clearly come out and say to this day, ‘Marvin really changed the culture. And Spikes, we wish you could have been there because I understand why you left. You didn’t trust what was going on because of what had happened in previous years.’”

The Bengals are 4-23-1 since Zac Taylor took over for Lewis.

There will be plenty of head coaching vacancies this offseason. The Texans and Falcons already fired their head coaches. The Jets, Jaguars, Chargers and Bears could do the same. 

Lewis is well respected around the NFL. He should and likely will get another shot to be a head coach. 

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