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The Detroit Lions are expected to cast a wide net for their next head coach, and one of the names they are getting an early look at has plenty of experience to rely on.
Detroit recently interviewed former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis for their head coaching job, and Lewis becomes one of the top contenders for the position given his experience. According to Peter Schrager of Fox Sports, Lewis is just the first of multiple interviews the team will host starting soon. San Francisco’s Robert Saleh, Kansas City’s Eric Bieniemy and Detroit’s Darrell Bevell could also interview for the job soon.
The Lions chatting with Lewis isn’t a surprise. He’s arguably the most established name on the market in terms of a coach, and is someone who would bring some instant credibility back to a locker room that was severely fractured by the last regime.
Despite that, Lewis and his resume are not without some significant warts, which Detroit will have to remember. His stay in Cincinnati lasted over a decade with sparse results in terms of playoff wins, and the goal of the Lions is to get to the next level. With this in mind, a potential Lewis candidacy is interesting, as unappealing it might be to several fans..
Marvin Lewis Career Biography
Though he was much-maligned for his work with the Bengals, Lewis was one of the more consistent coaches of the last decade. From 2003-2018, he led the Cincinnati Bengals. Before that, he was the defensive coordinator in Baltimore from 1996-2001 where he helped deliver Super Bowl XXXV and one of the most dominating defenses in NFL history. From there, he spend a season calling the defense in Washington before departing to take the head job with the Bengals.
Lewis has a 131-122-3 record as an NFL coach, but more troubling is his 0-7 mark in the postseason. Lewis would have to sell the Lions on the fact that he could get them over the hump and be the right answer for a team that hasn’t had any postseason success of their own.
Lions Coaching Search Update
Lewis might be the most experienced name the Lions have talked to, but he will be far from the only person the team reaches out to in order to fill their job. Detroit’s coaching search hasn’t progressed that deeply as of yet as their general manager search has to this point, and that makes sense given most of Detroit’s coaching candidates are in the NFL and still haven’t finished off their seasons to this point in time. So far, the Lions have met with seven candidates for their general manager job, only three of which were internal. Detroit could look to hire a coach first and then pair them with a general manager, and it would be interesting to see how that would work.
As for NFL candidates, the Lions figure to have plenty of those as well. The Lions could have as many as 10 interviews or more according to recent reports. Detroit could target Robert Saleh, Eric Bieniemy, Arthur Smith or Brian Daboll for interviews in the coming weeks in addition to plenty of others. In the future, college names like Urban Meyer or even Pat Fitzgerald could interview for the job if the Lions want them to come to town.
It’s tough to imagine Lewis being the guy given the depth of names the team will consider, but if it’s experience the Lions covet, he could be one of the best options for the team’s next boss.
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