The so-called coaching carousel of college football has been active once again. Various programs across the United States have dismissed their head football coaches, causing an ensuing domino effect of coaches leaving and joining new schools.
One of the more frequently-discussed names this year was Sean Lewis. Lewis had recently led the Golden Flashes of Kent State University to new heights. As it would turn out, Lewis is indeed taking up a new coaching gig. But not necessarily one that onlookers were expecting.
Becoming the new offensive coordinator of the Colorado Buffaloes
Sean Lewis has been named the offensive coordinator for the University of Colorado Boulder, reports ESPN. He joins the program under new head football coach, Deion Sanders. Sanders is an inductee in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Along with being part of two Super Bowl Champion teams, he also played Major League Baseball for several years.
Sanders joining Colorado has also caught some by surprise. Sanders has had a highly successful tenure as the head football coach at Jackson State University. Making him one of the country's most sought-after coaches. Auburn was frequently mentioned as a potential landing spot for him.
Or, if the head coaching position were to open up at some point, Sanders' alma mater in Florida State University.
For his part, Lewis played at the college level for the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a tight end. He had also been named as a candidate as the new head coach for his alma mater earlier this year. Instead, Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell became the new face of Wisconsin Badgers football.
As such, Lewis was then considered a candidate to succeed Fickell at Cincinnati. Louisville HC Scott Satterfield would ultimately get the nod. Following the established pattern, Lewis was considered a candidate to follow Satterfield at Louisville. Athlon Sports even listed him as such just hours before his move to Colorado was officially announced.
But for all the head coaching speculation swirling around him, Lewis has opted to take an assistant post. As the new Buffaloes OC, he's expected to implement his very-high-tempo system from Kent State. Given the uniquely high altitude at Colorado home games, it theoretically could be brutal on visiting defenses.
Lewis led the Golden Flashes to their first bowl championship in program history, with the 2019 Frisco Bowl. Along with a Mid-American Conference East Division Championship in 2021.
Lewis' third stint as a Division I offensive coordinator
Sean Lewis began his coaching career at Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois; near Chicago. There, he was the football team's offensive coordinator.
But it would be a number of years off before he became one in the NCAA.
His first go-round as an NCAA coach was at the Division II level with the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Lewis was the tight ends coach there. But the school would cut the football program in the midst of transitioning to Division.
In Division I, Lewis took assistant spots at the University of Akron and Eastern Illinois University. From there, he joined the staff of Bowling Green State University, initially as the wide receivers coach. A year later, he was named the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. After serving in the same positions with the Syracuse Orange, he was hired as head coach at Kent State.
