According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis plans to step down after the season to seek out other opportunities.
Here’s an excerpt of the report:
After 15 seasons in Cincinnati that have made him the longest-tenured head coach in franchise history, Marvin Lewis is planning to leave the Bengals after this season to pursue opportunities elsewhere, league sources told ESPN.
As he has done in the past, Lewis willingly opted to enter 2017 on the final year of his contract, but unlike other years, this time he is planning to leave Cincinnati, sources said.
With a flurry of head-coaching openings expected in the coming weeks and a shortage of obvious head-coaching candidates with experience, Lewis is likely to be on teams’ short lists of candidates, league sources said.
Perhaps the stat that bugs Bengals fans the most:
Marvin Lewis’ Playoff Pain
Marvin Lewis hasn’t been able to help the Bengals advance in the postseason. Cincinnati hasn’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season, the longest active drought in the NFL.
Worst postseason coaching records (min. 5 games)
COACH RECORD
Marvin Lewis 0-7
Jim Mora 0-6
Sid Gillman 1-5
Jack Pardee 1-5
Wade Phillips 1-5
— Elias Sports Bureau
Lewis was asked about the report this morning and he had this to say:
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis shooed away a reporter before Sunday’s game when he was approached about the ESPN report saying he’s leaving the club after 15 seasons.
“It’s nothing. Nothing to it,” said Lewis as he sat with offensive linemen Clint Boling and Eric Winston on the Bengals bench in U.S. Bank Stadium.
