Bringing decades of NFL coaching experience, former Cincinnati Bengals head coach and defensive mastermind Marvin Lewis enters his third season as special advisor to head coach in 2023. Lewis is in his fourth year with ASU after originally joining the staff as special advisor to Sun Devil Football on May 28, 2019. Lewis returned to coaching at the end of the 2019 season serving as the program’s interim defensive backs coach for the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl before serving as the program's co-defensive coordinator in 2020.
 
Lewis – a veteran coach of over 25 years in the National Football League - coached an aggressive and opportunistic Sun Devil defense last season. Arizona State forced 13 turnovers in only four games, highlighted by a seven-turnover performance in the Territorial Cup victory. In that game, the Sun Devils held Arizona to just seven points, its lowest total in the series since 2003.
 
Despite playing in only four games during the pandemic-shortened season, the Sun Devil defense stacked up statistically other top defenses. ASU was the first nationally in turnover margin, forcing 13 total turnovers compared to just five for the opponent. The Sun Devils finished first in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (23.2), fumble recoveries (8), and yards per completion allowed. Defensive back Evan Fields four forced fumbles led the conference and was tied for first in the country. 
 
Local products defensive back Chase Lucas and defensive lineman Tyler Johnson each earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors, while three more members of the Sun Devil defense earned conference honorable mention notice: defensive lineman Jermayne Lole, linebacker Kyle Soelle, and Fields.
 
In addition to setting the Bengals’ franchise record for career wins (131), Lewis also set the club’s head coaching standards for longest tenure (16 seasons), playoff appearances (seven), consecutive playoff appearances (five) and division titles (four). The seven playoff berths the Bengals achieved with Lewis equaled the number the club had in the 35 seasons prior to his arrival.
 
Under Lewis, the Bengals were one of only four NFL teams to reach the playoffs every year from 2011-15. The 2015 squad’s 12-4 record tied the best regular season mark in club annals. Lewis was the consensus choice for NFL Coach of the Year in 2009, when the Bengals won the AFC North Division while sweeping all six division games. The Bengals also were AFC North champions under Lewis in 2005, ‘13 and ‘15.
 
Named the ninth head coach in Bengals history on Jan. 14, 2003, Lewis started quickly as his 2003 club finished 8-8, six games better than the 2002 club, which represented the biggest improvement in the NFL.
 
Lewis coached 21 Pro Bowl players during his time in Cincinnati, with nine of those players earning the honor multiple times. In 2018, defensive tackle Geno Atkins earned his seventh Pro Bowl nod, the most ever by a Bengals defensive player.
 
Lewis came to the Bengals with credentials as a record-setting NFL defensive coordinator, having played a huge role in a championship season. His six seasons (1996-2001) as Baltimore Ravens coordinator included a Super Bowl victory in 2000, when his defense set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game campaign (165). That unit clipped 22 points off the previous mark, an achievement that always has the 2000 Ravens as an entry in discussions regarding the best NFL defensive units of all time.
 
In 2002, the season before he joined the Bengals, Lewis led the Washington Redskins to a No. 5 NFL defensive ranking, serving as assistant head coach as well as defensive coordinator.

Lewis had his first NFL assignment from 1992-95, as linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He aided the development of four Pro Bowl players — Kevin Greene, Chad Brown, Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd. Greene has since been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
 
Lewis developed an impressive “coaching tree” during his Bengals tenure. Five of his former assistants have become NFL head coaches. The list includes former Bengals offensive coordinators Jay Gruden (head coach of the Washington Redskins since 2014) and Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns, 2016-18), former defensive coordinators Leslie Frazier (Minnesota Vikings 2010-13) and Mike Zimmer (head coach of the Minnesota Vikings since 2014), and former defensive backs coach Vance Joseph (Denver Broncos 2017-18).
 
Lewis began his coaching career as linebackers coach at his alma mater Idaho State from 1981-84. ISU’s team finished 12-1 in Lewis’ first season there and won the NCAA Division 1-AA championship. Lewis played LB at Idaho State, earning All-Big Sky Conference honors for three consecutive years (1978-80). He also saw action at quarterback and free safety during his college career. He received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Idaho State in 1981, and earned his master’s in athletic administration in ‘82. He was inducted into Idaho State’s Hall of Fame in 2001.
 
Born Sept. 23, 1958, Lewis attended Fort Cherry High School in McDonald, Pa. (near Pittsburgh), where he was an all-conference quarterback and safety. He also earned high school letters in wrestling and baseball. He and his wife, Peggy, have a daughter, Whitney, and a son, Marcus (Sun Devil Football analyst).