Once a Bengal, Always a Bengal

“Once a Bengal, always a Bengal” rings true for many alumni from Idaho State, but perhaps not more so than for Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis.

Before Lewis was coaching NFL teams and earning Coach of the Year honors, he, too, roamed the hallways of Garrison Hall, played for the Bengals in Holt Arena and went fly fishing with teammates in the Teton Mountains.

“I was here when the (Eli M. Oboler) Library was built across the street from Rendezvous, which use to be East Hall where I lived,” Lewis reminisced, speaking to the media on Feb. 14.

Lewis was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award last September, the highest award ISU alumni can receive for his active support to the university he spent nine years with. He was pre-occupied with his own football season to make a visit to Pocatello for the award at that time. On Thursday, he returned to his starting platform.

Attending from 1977-80, Lewis played linebacker for the Bengals under coaches Joe Pascale, Bud Hake and Dave Kragthorpe. He would then join Kragthorpe's staff as a graduate assistant coach in 1981 till 1984. His first year in coaching linebackers was the year ISU won the National Championship. From there started his road to becoming one of the most respected figures in the National Football League.

After stints as a linebacker coach in the college ranks then as defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins, Lewis was hired by Cincinnati to be their head coach in 2003. His current tenure of nearly 10 years is the second-longest in the NFL now, behind only Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. In 2009, he was named the NFL Coach of the Year. He has led the Bengals to four playoff appearances and has turned around a team that was once called the "Bungles."

“I would not have been able to do what I am doing today had it not been for Idaho State,” Lewis said. “It has been a lot of time and a lot of great memories of being here in Pocatello. (From ISU) I learned how to communicate with people, how to coach and teach football from the coaches I had here and all the people in the community that were so instrumental in my own development. I am just very fortunate to come here.”

Lewis grew up in the small town of McDonald, near Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania, a long ways away from Pocatello, ID. Through word of mouth from coaches that he knew in the east, a scholarship was open for Lewis to take. While recalling his recruitment to Idaho State, Lewis joked with members of the media on Thursday, “The coach said it was in the mountains, and I could not figure out what that meant; if it meant the buildings sat on the top of a peak.”

Once adjusted to the mountains of Pocatello, Lewis noted that the people from the university and the community made an impact in how he coaches today.

“They taught you how to treat people the correct way,” he said. “I think that is important today. It is important in what I do daily; it's important the way my staff carries themselves in what we do. Sometimes I feel like those things are over-looked.”

Not only did life lessons stay with him from ISU, but love as well. Lewis met his wife Peggy in Garrison Hall while it was still a dormitory. He proposed to her at a seafood restaurant in town, which is now Red Lobster. During their time back in Pocatello, Lewis said that he and his wife ate dinner at the Sandpiper, a place that they could never afford while students, he joked.

"A big meal for us was if we could get a bag of chips from the College Market," he added with laughter.

A lot has changed since he and Peggy have been in Pocatello. He noted the additions the university has made, especially the Rendezvous, and the overall growth of the town. Part of his returning tour to ISU was to view the Stephen's Performing Arts Center.

"Seeing the University continue to grow and continue to prosper is great and I am glad that Peggy and I can try to continue to help that process as much as we can."

He added that the university adds to the experience he had in Pocatello.

"The university, to me, makes Pocatello. People end up staying in this area. That says a lot for it."
Lewis keeps in touch with many of his coaches and teammates. Even during a busy NFL schedule, old friends will visit him when the Cincinnati Bengals play nearby. He even remembers seeing ISU track and field coach Dave Nielsen around campus all those years back.

Part of Lewis' time spent in Pocatello was to talk to the players and coaches of the ISU football team. He conveyed to the team the same message of building connections with people as well as the importance of academics.

"To work hard in the classroom, I think that stuff gets overlooked because we only see the highlights on TV," he said. "The best players I have ever been around and have coached, and I have been fortunate to be around six or seven Hall of Fame players, they were the smartest guys. They were the guys who knew how to take the best notes and knew how to do their job to the utmost of their ability. And they had great physical tools, but their mental aptitude helped them to be the best players."

Lewis is someone who has sincere gratitude for what Idaho State and its people have done for him. He is proud of his time here and is excited for what the future holds for ISU athletically and academically as well as what is in store for Pocatello."Lot of memories of being here," Lewis said. "I told athletic director Jeff Tingey I wished I had a penny for every time I walked across the field from Garrison and Turner to the dome or from where I lived."




Additional quotes from Marvin Lewis:

Opening remarks:

I'm honored to be here today. My wife, Peggy, is in the back. We laugh because we met over in Garrison Hall, so we have both been long-time Bengals. It's a pleasure being here, I am very flattered and honored for the award this fall. I think it is always great to have an opportunity to come back here and see the campus and see the things the university is doing. It's doing what I get to do; I would not have been able to do it had it not been for Idaho State. I can remember the very day in August of 1976 walking through the doors of the dome. They walked myself and Bob Matsey, who ironically was also from the Pittsburgh area, and showed us the dome back in 1976. It has been a lot of time and a lot of great memories of being here in Pocatello. Seeing the University continue to grow and continue to prosper and I am glad that Peggy and I can try to continue to help that process as much as we can. I look forward to seeing a lot of old friends and people that were so instrumental in what I do. I learned how to communicate with people, how to coach and teach football from the coaches I had here and all the people in the community that were so instrumental in my own development. I am just very fortunate to come here. People have a lot of opportunities and you never know which way things are going to take you, but certainly Pocatello is very special to us.

ISU's impact on him:

When I came to college, I really wanted to stay in football and to be a coach. I was very fortunate to, whether it was the professors on campus, whether it be the coaches or teachers, former trainer in Phil Luckey, to the equipment personnel in John Griggs, and others like them that treated you the right way. They taught you how to treat people the correct way. I think that is important today. It is important in what I do daily; it's important the way my staff carries themselves in what we do. Sometimes I feel like those things are over-looked.

On other ISU alumni's impact in the NFL

I was here when we recruited Merrill Hoge, who had a great career in the NFL. I watched Merrill from when he was a young player in high school to all the way through. He learned the fundamentals of football and what it really is and that is what it's all about. And now a guy who continues to star is Jared Allen. Jared had a fine career here. I was told that he was just a long snapper, but then there he is leading the NFL in sacks. I didn't get very good information. The thing about the National Football League is what guys have to understand is if you will continue to work hard and develop as a football player, we'll find you. I don't care where you go to school. Unfortunately, too many guys, after they are done playing, then think they will prepare themselves for the National Football League. Everybody wants to get to end of their (collegiate career) then improve themselves physically. It's what you do weekly on tape which counts for a player. What you put on tape is your calling card, that's what gets you in the door. They guys that stay the longest are the guys that the smartest and know how to work and finish a task and do it day to day to day.

His message to the ISU football team:

It's a select group of guys who have an opportunity to go on and play. So make sure that while you're here that you do the best job you can in school as well. Because that is going to become important. If you have that degree, no one can take that away from you and that is going to open up doors as well. The other thing is the relationships with people that you develop while you're on this team and on this campus are going to people that can help you down the line. Or you can help them. So the impression that you make on those people are going to be helpful to them and helpful to you for the rest of your life.

Memories:

When I was senior we had beaten Nevada down in Reno. I remember walking across the field with Jim Koetter (quarterback for ISU, played with Lewis) one day over to dome as a graduate assistant coach. And I remember saying to him that I never won more than eight games. He said, oh, we will win more than that this year. That year we went on to win the I-AA National Championship. A lot of times as a player and coach, obviously winning the national championship was huge. It was a great experience. 

On Pocatello:

Pocatello has continued to grow, but the university is such a big part of that. A lot of the former athletes continue to live here. They come here for school from different parts of the country and they stay here and raise their families in this area. It's not a place where you're coming in and you just can't wait to get out of here. People end up staying in this area. That says a lot for it. There's Dave Nielsen out here, and others that I knew that were working and coaching here, it just shows that this is a great place to raise a family. When you're a coach, you're looking for places where your family can continue to thrive and prosper all the time.

On effective recruiting:

The continual growth of the athletic facilities here is always important, because that's what the coaches need to help them recruit. When you're a college coach, the important parts of recruiting are academics and athletic facilities.
On turning around a struggling program:
Continuity and having a plan and sticking to the plan. You have to set a course and stay on course. You have to turn things around academically and continue to recruit the student-athletes that can play at this level. You have to develop that nucleus of guys that are mentally strong and mentally tough and that share the same passion and vision that you do. There's no magic to it. It's going to be out-preparing, out-performing and out-playing the opposition that's going to push you over the hump.

Lessons learned from ISU:

I have learned it a lot of times along way, but one of the things that I think is very important is the statement “They don't care what you know until they know that you care.” That is one of the most significant things that you can learn as a coach. Sometimes to reach some players for my job as a professional coach, and it's no different here, is to take that player and to help him to be as successful as he can.

Keeping updated on ISU football's performance:

We get a chance to look at the scores on Sunday mornings. Now sometimes the scores out here in the west is not always posted in some of the papers back east. But, yeah, I do get to follow along and I get the alumni newsletters and follow that way.