In a huge upset, Marvin Lewis has become one of the longest tenured coaches in the NFL despite working for Mike Brown and the Bengals.
A much smaller victory for Lewis and the team is the lack of attention on Lewis’ lack of a contract extension. Lewis gave some hints at the internal concerns holding up a deal last month, but was more tight-lipped Thursday.
“We’ll just keep it personal between Mike and I. So there’s an update,” Lewis said to Cincinnati reporrters Friday.
Coaches talk about avoiding distractions all the time. We don’t think it’s a huge issue now, but it will be for Lewis and his players if it isn’t settled by training camp.
not even a bungal fan,but i am a huge fan of marvin lewis,he is a great coach,the reason they are losing in cinncy isnt the HC,i hope he doesnt sign an extention and a better org gives him a shot[a place where an owner and pres will spend and do what it takes to win]
What better way to begin the process of keeping contract talks personal than announcing it publicly?
mustbechris:
Try reading the article correctly before you make a stupid comment. He was asked for an update on his contract talks, and was simply being polite to the hometown media… not making a bold public statement.
It is sad that Lewis doesn’t have an extension. What is it going to take for Mike Brown to see that only with a true NFL coach will the Bengals ever be successful. If it wasn’t for Brown and his family screwing everything up, the Bengals would be a contender every season. Lewis has done a pheonominal job considering the lack of control and decision-making he has been given.
The last time Brown stuck his nose into Lewis’ business was after the 2005 divisional championship and it has taken Marvin this long to overcome Brown’s continual mistakes and get the Bengals back to the playoffs. Hopefully Brown stays out of the decision-making process in the draft this april.
It’s very clear that the stand-still between Brown and Lewis is over control and decision-making. Mike Brown will only solidify his place as one of the worst owners in professional sports if he continues to put his pride in front of what is best for his organization.
mustbechris he didnt come out and talk about it.The media asked him a question about it and he said we will keep it between mike and I cause they are personal thats not talking publicly about it.get your facts straight
Mike Brown is waiting to see if he can win a frickin playoff game first before he extends him. Do you blame him? 2 playoff games in 9 years! I wouldn’t extend him either.
If he leaves, I hope Zimmer is the heir apparent.
I’m not sure it’s such a huge upset that he’s stayed for so long. This is the team that put up with Dave Shula for more than four seasons remember.
Anyway, I have a question about the whole notion of a coach being in a contract year being a distraction. Is there any good evidence this is true? I ask because the last time the Bengals went to the Superbowl in the 1988 season coach Sam Wyche was in the final year of his contract, and it obviously wasn’t that much of a distraction since it was arguably the greatest season in franchise history.
I don’t want to draw any general conclusions on just one example, but it just seems the whole thing of a coach in a contract year being an “issue” is one of those things people just parrot without thinking or offering any evidence.
stevincinci has been bungalized. When was the last time the Bengals even made the playoffs before Marvin came in?
Seriously, Marvin Lewis is the best thing to happen to the Bengals in awhile. The ONLY way I want Lewis to go is if Mike Zimmer is taking his spot. I’d rather just keep Zimmer as the DC though and Lewis as the HC.
We need some playoff wins…..If Marv doesnt reup then Mike Zimmer will be HC in 2011…..You heard it here 1st and I think Marv has to drive this team towards playoff victories to get it…..While I like certain things about Lewis he is THE WORST GAME MANAGER IN THE NFL! HANDS DOWN!
YOU use both your challenges in the 1st quarter in the playoffs????? Like the guy said on the radio in the Minn vs NO game…”THIS ISNT DETROIT THIS IS THE PLAYOFFS”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So with that said “FIRE BRATKOWSKY” Who MIke Brown wont let Marv execute this….(Part of the control Marv is talking about) and Marv needs to stay the hell out of the way on defense and let Zimmer MAKE ALL THE CALLS and then focus on BETTER GAME MANAGEMENT!
He wins playoff games in 2010 he stays we dont make the playoffs or if we are 1 and done again HE SHOULD GO!
And the only name I want in his place is Mike Zimmer……
I hope they sign him for years to come… 0-2 in playoff games!
i agree that marvin isn’t the entire problem, but its time for a change of scenery. marvin and bratkowki need to go. give zimmer the promotion to HC and get a real OC .
If Marv Lewis was white he’d have been gone a long time ago. He has run a poorly disciplined, underachieving team for years. Kiffin was fired after one poor year. Mora was released quickly too. And people are still calling for Phillips to be fired after winning two division titles in three years.
Shanahan – fired after 3 years of .500 football. Gruden – fired after two years of 9-7 records.
Both won SBs.
Yet, year after year Lewis retains his position.
56-55 since 2003. Hmmm. For some reason they are afraid to fire him…
bringbacktheflex, you have to be a complete idiot. Your examples completely lack sense because you’re comparing coaches from other teams and other owners, not to mention entirely different situations. As a previous poster noted, Mike Brown kept Dave Shula around for four years and he was horrible…and white. Marvin Lewis got ‘nati back into the playoffs twice, which hadn’t been done in the previous twenty years. Digging for racial conflict where there is none is usually a sure sign of some kind of inadequacy, very often of an intellectual nature.
Ooooh! Insulted by a guy with the handle of ‘slapsbrats’. I’m hurt.
At least Shula had a pedigree. If Parcells had a son I think he would be cut some slack as well. Lewis has done next to nothing to justify his staying as long as he has. Mediocre record. Players ALWAYS in the headlines for something illegal. Squandered opportunities. I can’t see a logical reason to keep him. SO there must be an illogical reason.
You already have the sham of the Rooney rule. Now it’s been taken to an extreme.