Bengals sign head coach Marvin Lewis to contract extension

CINCINNATI - The Bengals have signed Marvin Lewis to another contract extension that will keep the head coach on the sidelines in Cincinnati through the 2014 season, the organization announced Tuesday.

Lewis, 53, was entering the final year of a contract he signed following the 2010 season that saw his team go 4-12. The Bengals bounced back in 2011, making the playoffs as one of the two AFC Wild Card teams.

“Coming off a playoff finish last year, with a solid coaching staff and good young players, continuity at the top gives us our best chance to do well,” said Bengals president Mike Brown. “We are excited about the team’s prospects and happy to have completed this process with Marvin before the 2012 preseason schedule begins.”

The Bengals have already extended the contracts of offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

"It adds to the continuity of the team," Lewis said Tuesday.

Lewis will be entering his 10th season as Bengals head coach, the longest in team history. He's also the winningest coach in Bengals history, eclipsing the records of founder Paul Brown and Sam Wyche last season.

Lewis is third in current tenure with one NFL team, behind Philadelphia's Andy Reid and New England's Bill Belichick.

The Bengals' record under Lewis for the past nine seasons is 69-77-1. Cincinnati has made the playoffs three times under Lewis' watch, twice in the last three seasons. However, the team has yet to win a playoff game during his tenure.

"Nobody in this city wants to win more than the man upstairs," Lewis said Tuesday. "And it's my job to help get him there."

There is a lot of buzz surrounding the team this season. They return a solid young corps of weapons on both sides of the ball and had a great draft.

“The team we have for this year is as exciting and intriguing as any one I’ve had,” Lewis said. “Our goal is to win the Super Bowl, nothing less, and it’s great to have this extension in place. We have a lot of work to do in order to maximize the potential we have, and it’s exciting to me to come work at it every day. (Wife) Peggy and I love living in Cincinnati, and we love the support our fans give us. Thanks to everyone who has helped make all this happen.”
 

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