After Emotional Season Honor Well Deserved
Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis was recently named the Associated Press Coach of the Year in a landslide over New Orleans' Sean Payton. Lewis earned 20 1/2 votes from a panel of 50 sports writers across the country while Payton received 11 1/2 votes. The Bengals record speaks volumes, but it is also what Lewis did in the midst of a tragic season that makes this honor all the more special.
Lewis led a Cincinnati team nobody thought would finish above third in the division to a 10-6 record and an AFC North Division Title for the second time in five seasons. He orchestrated a remarkable turnaround for a team that finished the 2008 season with a 4-11-1 record. The Bengals posted a 6-0 record in division games.
Few coaches and teams have ever had to go through what the Bengals dealt with this past season, and through it all they persevered, much to the credit of Lewis.
In the first weeks of the season a tsunami hit American Samoa, devastating the region. Three Bengals players, Jonathan Fanene, Ray Maualuga and Domato Peko had to deal with not knowing if their families had all survived. A few weeks later came the tragic death of Vikki Zimmer who was the wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. Vikki used to bake cookies for the players and the week following her death, her husband Mike along with Lewis led the Bengals to a dramatic come from behind road victory in Baltimore.
In mid December, tragedy struck again with the tragic death of wide receiver Chris Henry. Less than two weeks later the Bengals returned home and clinched the division with a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Through it all, Lewis remained a strong figure and a mentor to some of the players.
"Just look at that load right there he's beared," veteran guard Bobbie Williams said. "With Chris, Vikki Zimmer, the Samoan Islands. ...There's been a lot of weight on his shoulders, and through the not-so-good seasons when it seemed like the world might have been crashing down, he's been that rock for the team and for the city. ...When you look at it, you're like, 'Dang, that's a lot, that's a lot.' But you know what? He's still there and he's still rolling and he's still coach."
And he's Coach of the Year for the first time since Bengals founder Paul Brown won the award in 1970.
Lewis has managed to successfully change the environment in Cincinnati and has developed young players, including quarterback Carson Palmer into team leaders over the years.
"Marvin's really gotten better with gauging our team, and a lot of it is because he knows our individual players," Palmer said. "He knows when to back off, he knows when to put shoulder pads on, he knows when to hold us longer for meetings, he knows when to get us out of practice earlier. And that's a head coach's main job, to get his team ready to play on Sundays."
After everything this team went through in 2009, Lewis remained strong and was the glue that held this Bengals team together. Lewis is the clear- cut leader of this team and the players look up to him during times of adversity.
"He knows real life," Peko said. "He was able to not only be our coach, but a father and mentor to some of us."
Congratulations to the Bengals on a season no one expected and most of all congratulations to Marvin Lewis on an accomplishment he will never forget.