JOCKS FEATURE STORY

Gridiron Godsend
The Bengals actually did something right by hiring Marvin Lewis
Interview by Jason Gargano

Can one man change everything? You bet.

The hiring of Marvin Lewis as the Bengals head coach in January 2003 was a godsend for long-suffering, fiercely loyal Bengal fans. Name another team this side of Wrigleyville to consistently fill its seats despite such ineptitude.

The hire changed perceptions immediately, transforming the franchise from perennially clueless laughingstocks to something not seen in these parts in well over a decade, if ever — team ownership actually seemed insightful. Yes, Mike Brown made a good, even inspired, decision.

Best Coach (College/Pro) winner Marvin Lewis (right) gets factual with running back Corey Dillon. Photos By: Jymi Bolden

And it was. Under Lewis’ guidance the Bengals went from a franchise worst 2-14 to 8-8, battling for a playoff berth into the final game of the season.
Pro football mattered in Cincinnati again. And CityBeat readers responded by naming Lewis the Best Coach (Pro/College), the first Bengals coach named in Best of Cincinnati since Bruce Coslet in 1997. (The Bengals also
nabbed Best Team honors.)

When asked the difference between past Bengal teams and the 2003 version, offensive tackle Willie Anderson uttered two simple words: “Marvin Lewis.”

We recently sat down with Lewis to discuss things past, present and future. Clad in a blue nylon tracksuit, he immediately puts one at ease via his reassuring presence and easygoing manner.

“Don’t mind the toys. My kids were playing earlier,” he says as we sit down at the snake-like desk that dominates his Paul Brown Stadium office.

CityBeat: Marvin, you’re CityBeat’s best sports story of 2003.

Marvin Lewis: Not Chad Johnson? Not Rudi Johnson?

CB: Nope. It’s all you. Growing up just outside of Pittsburgh, you were a Steelers fan. How did those great teams influence you?

ML: I think growing up where I did, and the high school coach I had, I learned a great deal about the fundamentals of football. Actually, one of the players was married and lived next to me growing up. So I had that close observation of professional football by watching Larry Brown (former 1970s Steelers tight end). (I saw that) it’s something really anyone can do. Yeah, this guy was huge by any standards, even then, but he was a great person off the field.

CB: How has your educational background (Lewis has a master’s in athletic administration) helped you as a coach?

ML: I learned early on that education was important. And by going to school out at Idaho State, away from home, you learn how to meet new people, adapt to new places, experience new things that help you down the line. I guess you don’t fear change. You kind of look forward to and anticipate it. You welcome it. So that was helpful. I played for a lot of different coaches — we weren’t very good there early on. But it was good for me because, again, I learned football and about coaching.

CB: Given the Bengals’ recent history, were you hesitant at all to take the job?

ML: The only reason why you wouldn’t take the job is if you wouldn’t have the opportunity to be successful. That’s the way I evaluate every job: To make sure I have every opportunity to be successful and the families, the coaches that I would bring here to the city of Cincinnati would have an opportunity to flourish. I think we have that opportunity here.

CB: Immediately after you were hired it seemed like you were out in the community selling the Bengals. Why was that so important to you?

ML: I think the people of Cincinnati had some kind of stigma that the place here was jinxed or something. I think it took somebody from the outside in to realize, to make people understand that it wasn’t (jinxed). We got about halfway there this year. We still have a ways to go, but everything here is good. They did a great job in building the stadium. The facilities here are outstanding. Now we just have to coach and play better and we’ll win football games.

CB: Did you feel any pressure as the man designated to resurrect the franchise?

ML: Nah, no more pressure than you feel no matter where you are. Most times these jobs don’t come open when the team wins the Super Bowl (laughs).

CB: When you guys lost that opening game against Denver, everyone thought, “Here we go again.”

ML: That’s human nature.

CB: Then you lost the next two games. How did you keep the guys’ heads up after the tough start?

ML: Well, we were doing things right, but we just didn’t play as well as we needed to the first week. We kind of had that deer-in-headlights thing. But we got over that. We focused on the little things, focused on the fundamentals. That’s what you’ve got to do to give yourself an opportunity to play better.

CB: Where does your relentlessly positive approach come from?

ML: Oh, I don’t know. There’s only one way to do things. You’ve got to be positive, put in hard work and do things right to give yourself an opportunity for success.

CB: How do you stay so calm on the sidelines? Rarely do you berate players or celebrate when they do something well. Are you going nuts inside?

ML: I go nuts inside before the game, because you go through the gamut of emotions. I’ve always been that way. You could be the best thing since sliced bread, but you don’t know how you’ll play that day. It takes your great players to play well to help you. But I think the most important thing is … somebody told me long ago, “Don’t embarrass me and I won’t embarrass you.” Many times coaches get into a confrontation with guys and it’s an emotional confrontation, not a factual confrontation. I think as long as we keep it factual, particularly during a game, we have a chance to be more successful.

CB: You were really emotional in the locker room after the Kansas City game, especially when speaking about Mike Brown. Why did you get so emotional?

ML: Well … (laughs) you wish you hadn’t. But I think the thing that was good for our football team was to realize that a lot of blame had been placed on him (Brown). And I think sometimes even his (past) players and coaches allowed that to happen, ’cause then it’s not on you. When we got started I told them all — every coach I hired, every player we brought into this building — they had to realize they were a part of that 2-14 (team). And either they were going to be a part of the problem or a part of the solution. I think that as our guys went on and were 0-3 and 1-4, they realized they had to become part of the solution. I think that’s why we turned around the year.

CB: I have a feeling Chad Johnson is going to do well in our Readers Picks (he eventually won Best Athlete). Talk a bit about him. He seems like a special player.

ML: He’s an exceptional talent athletically. He has a good grasp of the game intellectually. But he’s very young. As he matures, he will continually learn and get better. There’s going to have to be maturation mentally and physically to enable him to be one of the best for a long, long time.

CB: What’s your No. 1 priority going into next season?

ML: We didn’t start or finish the season very well. We have to have more focus and determination in the off-season and training camp to prepare for 2004.

CB: Do you have any final messages for Bengal fans out there?

ML: That we’re going to be better in ’04. And we’re going to have fun. That’s what this is all about, that’s what Sunday afternoons should be — fun. ©

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