What is the story behind Marvin Lewis becoming a coach here?

[BoomerFan]

I remember hearing people suggest that the NFL made Mike Brown take him but that's gotta be a myth right? On the other hand I've heard that Marvin was taken over Tom Coughlin (which, there is no guarantee that Coughlin would've had the same success here).

I'm coming from the perspective that Marvin did a lot for this team, especially in his early years before he ran out of energy. I'm just wondering about the methodology that led to his hire.

[Shake n Blake]

He was a hot name for a few years after the success of the 2000 Ravens, but was passed over for a HC gig a few times. He settled for DC/assistant HC with the Redskins before we finally gave him an opportunity. The candidates we looked at were Denny Green, Tom Coughlin, Mike Mularky and Marvin. I think it was between Mularky and Marvin, honestly.

Green and Coughlin were viewed as good established coaches, and they probably wanted some power because of that.

Not sure where the story about the NFL forcing the Bengals to hire Marv came from. Never heard that, honestly.

[BrownAssClown]

From what I remember, Coughlin wanted too much power and GM duties so he wasn't hired and later stated that he didn't think he or anyone else could be successful here. When it came down to Mularky and Lewis, Mike Brown wanted to hire Mularky and Katie wanted Lewis. It was reported at the time that Katie had got so upset she stormed out of a meeting with her father and Mike gave in to her demand. I always thought that was a "likely" story, but I do remember that being reported at the time.

[THE PISTONS]

(12-24-2019, 10:11 PM)BrownAssClown Wrote: From what I remember, Coughlin wanted too much power and GM duties so he wasn't hired and later stated that he didn't think he or anyone else could be successful here. When it came down to Mularky and Lewis, Mike Brown wanted to hire Mularky and Katie wanted Lewis. It was reported at the time that Katie had got so upset she stormed out of a meeting with her father and Mike gave in to her demand. I always thought that was a "likely" story, but I do remember that being reported at the time.

Yes. Coughlin wanted a GM and more scouts supposedly. He reportedly questioned of he could win here the way the team was structured. It's likely still structured similarly.

[THE PISTONS]

(12-24-2019, 10:11 PM)BrownAssClown Wrote: From what I remember, Coughlin wanted too much power and GM duties so he wasn't hired and later stated that he didn't think he or anyone else could be successful here. When it came down to Mularky and Lewis, Mike Brown wanted to hire Mularky and Katie wanted Lewis. It was reported at the time that Katie had got so upset she stormed out of a meeting with her father and Mike gave in to her demand. I always thought that was a "likely" story, but I do remember that being reported at the time.

I thought that Brown actually liked Coughlin?

[Whatever]

(12-24-2019, 10:11 PM)BrownAssClown Wrote: From what I remember, Coughlin wanted too much power and GM duties so he wasn't hired and later stated that he didn't think he or anyone else could be successful here. When it came down to Mularky and Lewis, Mike Brown wanted to hire Mularky and Katie wanted Lewis. It was reported at the time that Katie had got so upset she stormed out of a meeting with her father and Mike gave in to her demand. I always thought that was a "likely" story, but I do remember that being reported at the time.

Mike supposedly liked Coughlin and Katie wanted Marvin. Mularkey got a second interview, but he himself has said that he bombed his first interview because he was distracted by coaching in the playoffs.  Coughlin had a list of FO changes and obviously wanted the GM title for himself.  He said at the time that he did not know if he could take the job if he was not also named GM.  However, it's important to note that he also had the GM title in Jacksonville and only took the HC job with the Giants without GM power after spending a year out of football.

[BrownAssClown]

(12-24-2019, 10:29 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I thought that Brown actually liked Coughlin?

I know Coughlin interviewed here, but didn't get the job because of the aforementioned "power" he would requirer to take the job.

[*Nately120*]

(12-24-2019, 10:11 PM)BrownAssClown Wrote: From what I remember, Coughlin wanted too much power and GM duties so he wasn't hired and later stated that he didn't think he or anyone else could be successful here. When it came down to Mularky and Lewis, Mike Brown wanted to hire Mularky and Katie wanted Lewis. It was reported at the time that Katie had got so upset she stormed out of a meeting with her father and Mike gave in to her demand. I always thought that was a "likely" story, but I do remember that being reported at the time.

Hmm, MB gave into Katie's demands?  If life were a sit com Marvin would have "accidentally" lost MB's glasses and Carson Palmer could have walked into the office in drag and a red costume wig and made his demands under the guise that he was Pumpkin herself.

[THE PISTONS]

(12-24-2019, 10:42 PM)BrownAssClown Wrote: I know Coughlin interviewed here, but didn't get the job because of the aforementioned "power" he would requirer to take the job.

It makes sense. He wanted league average scouts and gm ability. 

All these years later we still have a small scouting staff and no playoff wins.

[bengalstruth]

I was under the impression there may have been some pressure from the league to promote the hiring of a black head coach because of the Rooney Rule.  Or maybe Mike Brown felt the need to do what he perceived as the right thing.  I remember Coughlin being the favorite to get the job.

This from Wikipedia:

"Another former Steelers assistant, Marvin Lewis, also struggled to find a head coaching position despite immense success as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator and would not find a head coaching position until being hired by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003, the year the Rooney Rule went into effect."

[grampahol]

The Rooney rule for all its good intentions still kind of ignores the elephant in the room, team ownership.. There's no rule in place to even attempt to change ownership other than who has the most money to own teams.
Personally I'd love to see teams owned by the communities in which they play similar to how Greenbay seems to run, but there will always be an element of the rich get richer till they get their pictures on the cover of the Rolling Stone..err..Sports Illustrated.. On the other hand there's Hamilton County'ss commissioners.. Would you trust them to own the Bengals? I know...It's tough to imagine a 500,000 seat uncovered monument to the Brown family legacy..

[*Awful Llama*]

'Cause when Merv loses a bet he keeps up his end of the bargain? Regardless, he's at home laughing his ass off at this dysfunctional organization.

[Bengalitis]

(12-24-2019, 10:28 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Yes. Coughlin wanted a GM and more scouts supposedly. He reportedly questioned of he could win here the way the team was structured. It's likely still structured similarly.

Boy was he right.. didn't Coughlin end up winning 2 super bowls with the Giants...  

Ironically, he didn't have the same success with the jaguars.. maybe he was a better coach than gm.

[fredtoast]

What went on behind the closed doors of the front office is all just rumor. Different people say different things and some of it changes over time.

At the time Marvin was hired there was a public concern by the NFL about the lack of minority coaches in a sport dominated by minorities. But Marvin had the credentials and was a popular prospect for a HC position even without the Rooney Rule.

[I_C_DeadPeople]

He was not the GM for the Jags I believe he was president of football operations and in charge of dishing out illegal fines