Bengals fire head coach Marvin Lewis after 16 seasons
Marvin Lewis was dismissed Monday by the Cincinnati Bengals after 16 seasons as head coach.
Lewis, 60, had one season remaining on a contract he signed prior to last season. He is the franchise’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 131-122-3 but went 0-7 in the playoffs. The franchise last won a playoff game in 1990.
Only Bill Belichick with the Patriots has a longer tenure with the same team among NFL head coaches.
“I want to thank the Bengals’ organization, the fans and the city of Cincinnati for their support,” Lewis said in a prepared statement. “I regret I haven’t been able to provide them with the No. 1 goal of being world champions. I also want to thank our players, coaches and team employees for their effort and professionalism over the past 16 years. A lot of fine people have gone through this building in that time, and the organization is better for all of them having been a part of it.”
The team said it will begin the search for a new head coach immediately but doesn’t expect to hire a coach for several weeks.
“The team is very appreciative of all that Marvin has accomplished over the past 16 years,” Bengals president Mike Brown said. “Personally, I am very fond of Marvin and will miss working with him. He is a friend and a colleague, and I thank him for what he has meant to this franchise. But it is time to turn the page and look toward the next chapter for our organization, and we are excited about what the future holds for the team and our fans.”
Lewis led the Bengals to a 4-1 start before the wheels came off for Cincinnati, which ended the year with 18 players on injured reserve, including quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green. Lewis also fired defensive coordinator Teryl Austin during the season and began running the Bengals’ defense with a late-season assist from Hue Jackson.
