Jets Add Marvin Lewis to Search For New Head Coach With Interview

Lewis spent 16 seasons as the Bengals head coach and will be one of the most experienced candidates for New York's head coaching vacancy

Max Goodman | Jan 7, 2021

The Jets have completed an interview with ex-Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, the team announced on Thursday afternoon.

As New York's head coaching search continues, plenty of highly sought-after candidates will be pursued by the Jets. When it comes to experience, Lewis is one of the best options on the market.

Lewis, 62, spent 16 seasons at the helm in Cincinnati (2003-2018), taking the Bengals to the postseason seven times. The Bengals went 131-122-3 under Lewis in the regular season, winning four AFC North titles. Those 131 wins rank Lewis in a tie for 27th on the all-time list of most wins by a head coach in NFL history.

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Before his time with the Bengals, Lewis made a name for himself as a defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens. From 1996 to 2001, Lewis led Baltimore's dominant defensive unit, helping them win a Super Bowl in 2000.

Since finishing his lengthy tenure in Cincinnati, Lewis worked at Arizona State under former Jets head coach Herman Edwards. He served as the Sun Devils co-defensive coordinator this season.

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New York has also completed an interview with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and is expected to conduct a "broad and deep" search for the right individual to lead this franchise back to contention.

The search will be led by general manager Joe Douglas, who got his start as a scout with the Ravens and crossed paths with Lewis in 2000.

Lewis' experience alone warrants consideration for the Jets' vacancy. While he hasn't had much success in the postseason, losing each time Cincinnati made a playoff appearance, bringing Lewis in with New York's young and malleable defensive unit could help bring this organization return to defensive supremacy. Either way, he'll immediately be respected in a role that he's worked in for close to two decades, injecting that experience into the Jets' culture going forward.

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Published Jan 7, 2021

MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.