By: Randy Lewis
At 7:00pm on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis will be at Miami of Middletown campus. He will offer his unique insight on the annual Black History Month commemoration. This event is free and is open to the public, but does require a ticket and will take place in the Finkelman Auditorium.
Lewis became the ninth coach in Bengals history on January 14, 2003, when he was hired to replace Dick LeBeau, who was fired after the worst season in franchise history. In his six seasons (2003-present) with the team, Lewis has compiled a 56-55-1 regular season record. Lewis beat both Tom Coughlin and Mike Mularkey for the position with the Bengals.
He had previously interviewed for head coaching positions with the Buffalo Bills, the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Cleveland Browns. Lewis had previously turned down head coaching opportunities with Cal and Michigan State to continue pursuing his goal of becoming a head coach in the NFL. The Bengals finished 8–8 in each of their first two seasons under Lewis, recording a non-losing season for the first time in seven years. In 2005, Cincinnati recorded an 11-5 record, winning the AFC North division and making the playoffs for the first time in 15 years.
In 2005 he led the Bengals to their first winning season and division title in 15 years. The Associated Press named him its 2009 Coach of the Year following a 10-6 regular season and an AFC North division championship. He is the first Bengals coach to win the award since Paul Brown in 1970, and he currently holds the highest career winning percentage in franchise history.
Don’t miss your chance to hear Coach Lewis speak