Larry Lewis enters his eighth season at the helm of the Idaho State University football program, in the midst of a four-year contract that will keep him at the helm of the Bengal football team through the 2008 season. Lewis has already turned the Bengals around into one of the Big Sky's best, most respected and entertaining programs.
The proof of that is in the numbers, as the Bengals over the past 20 years have had three of the top four attendance years during Lewis' tenure, including last year's average of 8,480 fans, the second-best mark in the last 20 years.
The 2005 season featured some amazing last second wins and the Bengals battling for the Big Sky title through November. The Bengals picked up heartstopping wins including a 34-30 win over #5 Eastern Washington, and a last second 36-34 win over Portland State that ended on the longest game-winning field goal in ISU history.
The Bengals also continued their trend of stepping up and challenging I-A programs, as the Bengals went to Kentucky of the SEC, and lost 41-29 after leading 29-28 with 5:14 remaining in the game.
His squad was led by a pair of consensus All-Americans in Jeff Charleston and Jaret Johnson, giving Lewis 13 All-Americans in his first seven seasons at Idaho State. Charleston was one of 16 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award for the I-AA Defensive Player of the Year, the second such honoree in Lewis' tenure. Also of note, the Bengals went 4-0 in games when they led after three quarters, making the Bengals 19-1 over the past four years in that statistic.
Lewis's charges picked up 20 All-Big Sky nods, including three first teamers and a pair of second teamers. All told, Lewis has now coached 121 All-Big Sky honorees, including 20 first team picks, 26 second teamers, and 75 honorable mention selections. Lewis also had eight players earn All-Big Sky Academic honors, running his total to 40.
The 2004 season was also a year where successes could be found all over the place. Quarterback Mark Hetherington threw for 3,000 yards, becoming just the fifth quarterback to do so, and the second in seven seasons under Lewis. Also, Lewis watched three of his players sign professional contacts, two with the NFL and one with the CFL.
His players were once again recognized by the league's coaches, as 20 more players earned All-Big Sky recognition, including one first team and seven second team picks. In 2003, he continued Idaho State's success with a brilliant campaign, leading ISU to an 8-4 season, giving the Bengals back-to-back eight win seasons for the first time in the program's 101-year history.
Along the way, the Bengals picked up a pair of heart-stopping double-overtime wins. The first, a 55-52 win over Eastern Washington, was the highest-scoring game in Holt Arena history. The second, a 43-40 win over Montana, was ISU's first win over the Griz in 10 years and knocked them from the nation's top 10 for the first time in nearly three years.
The Bengals once again went undefeated at home, running their home winning streak to 12 straight games, the longest in school history.
Lewis also oversaw the program's first National Player of the Year honor as Jared Allen earned the Buck Buchanan Award as the nation's top I-AA defensive player from the Sports Network.
In 2002, Lewis led the Bengals to a share of their first Big Sky title since 1981, as his charges went 8-3 on the season, and 5-2 in the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals' season was showcased by a perfect 6-0 record in Holt Arena, and none were more exciting than ISU's 18-14 last second win over Montana State, who also tied for the league title, along with Montana.
The Bengals pitched their first Big Sky shutout since 1980 when they defeated Weber State 34-0 in front of 10,419 fans, a record crowd in the Lewis era at that time.
Idaho State scored a pair of road wins as well, including a 21-14 win at Eastern Washington, where ISU held one of the nation's top offenses to an 0-for-14 night on third down.
ISU's success landed Larry Lewis on the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Ballot, a first for an ISU coach. The Bengals spent most of the year in the national polls, climbing as high as #16, and ISU finished the year ranked #17 in the poll, their highest final ranking since 1983.
The other conference coaches noticed the Bengals' success, as a record 22 players received All-Big Sky honors, including seven on the first team.
In 2001, Idaho State returned just six starters, and went 4-7 on the season, but four of the losses were by a combined total of 14 points, including a 32-28 loss to eventual national champion Montana, and a 28-27 loss to I-A Utah State.
The Bengals started the 2000 season out of the gate in fine fashion, with a 4-1 mark, leading to the school's first national ranking since 1996. The Bengals spent a week at #25 in the Sports Network Poll, and two weeks in the CFAA/Teamlink Top 25 Poll, topping out at #23. Highlighting that initial stretch was a heartstopping 28-21 win over nationally-ranked Northern Arizona in which Lewis' fourth-and-goal gamble turned into the winning touchdown. Also among those first four victories was a tense 41-39 win over Sacramento State, and the school's first ever road overtime victory, a 31-30 decision over Cal State Northridge.
Even a short losing streak couldn't dampen the season, as the Bengals finished the season with two more landmark wins. Idaho State returned to .500 with a 58-14 victory over Montana State, scoring the most points ever by Idaho State in a Big Sky win. That win gave ISU four conference victories, tying for the most since 1983. To culminate the season, Lewis led his charges to Logan, Utah, where the Bengals scored a 27-24 victory over Utah State, limiting the nation's Division I-A all-purpose yardage champion to just over 100 total yards of offense.
Lewis, who along with his head coaching duties runs the special teams department for ISU, saw five special teamers earn All-American honors in his first five years, as kickers Pete Garces and Javier Garcia, punter Eddie Johnson (twice), and kick returner DeRonn Finley all earned All-American accolades. Under his tutelage, ISU's special teams have won four NCAA statistical championships, leading the nation in net punting in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Punter Eddie Johnson also led the nation in punting in 2001. In the last four years, ISU's punt return unit has scored eight touchdowns.
Also earning honors under Lewis was 2000 starting quarterback Shane Griggs, who became the first quarterback to start all 11 games since 1995. Griggs earned two postseason honors, being invited to both the Kelly Tires Blue-Gray game in Montgomery, Alabama, and to the Rivals.com Hula Bowl, held in Maui, Hawaii. Griggs was the only Division I-AA quarterback to make either of the rosters for the two all-star games.
Lewis has shown that not only is he making winners of the Bengals on the field, but off it as well. Along with 40 All-Big Sky Academic honorees, Lewis recruits Bart Brooks, Josh Whitworth, Jeff Davenport, and David Tongelei all have been honored by the Southern Idaho Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame as ISU's Babe-Caccia Scholar-Athlete Award Winner.
In 2003, linebacker Bart Brooks was named to the I-AA Athletic Director Academic All-Star Team, was a nominee for the AD's $5,000 post graduate scholarship, and he was a Verizon/CoSIDA District VIII All-Academic selection. Former Bengal Matt Nighswonger earned Verizon/CoSIDA District VIII All-Academic honors in 2000. In 2001, Donell McNeal was one of only 11 football players selected nationally for the American Football Coaches Association Good Works All-American team for his work in the field of community service.
Larry Lewis has also brought offense and exciting football back to Pocatello. In his seven years, Idaho State has scored at least 329 points five times. Of the 13 total seasons when ISU scored 300 or more points, Lewis has coached five of them, including five of the top nine seasons in ISU's history.
Larry Lewis is third among all ISU coaches in terms of wins with 38, and he will move into second place with four more wins.
Lewis came to Pocatello after spending 10 years as the assistant head coach at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.
At Washington State, Lewis worked under head coach Mike Price. Lewis' main coaching duties included serving as the assistant head coach, with responsibilities for coaching the defensive line and as special teams coordinator. He also hosted many administrative responsibilities, including compliance, director of summer camps, fund-raising, and supervision of graduate assistants and office personnel.
While at Washington State, the Cougars advanced to three bowl games, and he was a part of the winningest coaching staff in Cougar history. In 1997, the Cougars went 10-1 in the regular season and won the Pac-10 title, advancing to the Rose Bowl, where they ultimately lost to Michigan 21-16. Washington State finished #9 in both the USA Today and AP polls. Washington State led the Pac-10 in offense and was second in total defense.
In 1994, the Cougars went 8-4, defeating Baylor 10-3 in the Alamo Bowl. Washington State was ranked #1 in the nation in both total defense and scoring defense, and they were second nationally in rushing defense as well. The Cougars finished 19th in the USA Today poll and 21st in the AP poll.
In 1992, Washington State went 9-3 with a 31-28 win over Utah in the Copper Bowl. The 9-3 mark at the time was the 2nd most wins in school history, and it equaled the best record since the 1930s.
Prior to coaching at Washington State, Lewis coached the defensive line and the linebackers at Weber State University, where he was also recruiting coordinator. He also served under Mike Price at Weber, and he helped the Wildcats to a 7-4 record in 1981 and a 10-3 record and a national ranking of #7 in 1987. The 1987 Wildcat squad advanced to the NCAA I-AA quarterfinals and won a share of the Big Sky Championship.
In an interesting bit of irony, Lewis had a front row seat for Idaho State's most important regular season win ever: a 33-30 triple overtime victory over Weber State in the final week of the season in 1981. That win gave Idaho State the Big Sky championship and an automatic berth in the I-AA playoffs, where the Bengals made their miracle run to the national championship. A loss by Idaho State would have meant a four-way tie for the league championship, and it probably would have meant a playoff appearance for Weber State instead of ISU.
Lewis played collegiately at Boise State University, where he earned a B.S. in Physical Education with a minor in Health-Biology. While at Boise State, he started at outside linebacker for their 1980 national championship team. He also was a part of their 10-1 1979 team and the Broncos' 1977 Big Sky Championship team. Lewis also won a prep title as a player; leading Vale Union High School in Vale, Oregon to a AA state championship in 1975 as his team went 12-0. Lewis was a two-way starter for Vale, at running back and at linebacker.
Larry comes from a coaching family, as his father Arnie coached Vale Union. Arnie Lewis, who passed away in 2000, is still considered one of the greatest Oregon prep coaches ever.
Lewis and his wife Lisa have one daughter, Hanna.
The Larry Lewis File
Born: October 30, 1957, Nyssa, Oregon
Hometown: Vale, Oregon
High School: Vale (Oregon) High, 1976 - Coached by his father, the late Arnie Lewis ... earned four varsity letters in football as a tailback and linebacker ... team won State AA title with a 12-0 mark in 1975 ... lettered twice in wrestling and four times in baseball ... pitcher and third baseman ... baseball team reached state playoffs senior year.
College: Boise State, 1981 - Starter at outside linebacker on the Bronco's 1980 club that won the national NCAA I-AA championship ... earned four varsity letters ... redshirted in 1976, then played four years ... team's most improved player as a freshman.
Coaching Experience: Weber State, 1981-1988 - Started in the fall of 1981 as a part-time coach ... moved to full time position before the 1983 season and spent the next six years on Mike Price's Wildcat staff ... coached outside linebackers the first five years and worked with the Wildcats' defensive ends and down linemen the last three years while also serving as the recruiting coordinator ... Washington State University, 1989-1998 - Served as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator ... helped lead Washington State to the 1997 Rose Bowl ... also responsible for the defensive ends.
Larry Lewis Coaching
Year-by-Year
Overall Conference
YearSchool W L W L Finish
1981 Weber State7 4 5 2 Fourth
1982 Weber State4 7 2 5 Seventh
1983 Weber State6 5 3 4 Fifth
1984 Weber State5 6 3 4 Sixth
1985 Weber State6 5 4 3 Fourth
1986 Weber State3 8 2 5 Sixth-Tie
1987 Weber State10 3 7 1 Champion-Tie
1988 Weber State5 6 4 4 Fourth-Tie
Weber St. Totals46 44 30 28
1989 Washington State6 5 3 5 Seventh-Tie
1990 Washington State3 8 2 5 Ninth
1991 Washington State4 7 3 5 Sixth-Tie
1992 Washington State9 3 5 3 Third-Tie
1993 Washington State5 6 3 5 Sixth
1994 Washington State8 4 5 3 Fourth
1995 Washington State3 8 2 6 Eighth-Tie
1996 Washington State5 6 3 5 Fifth-Tie
1997 Washington State10 2 7 1 Champion-Tie
1998 Washington State3 8 0 8 Tenth
Wash. St. Totals56 573345
1999Idaho State4717Eighth
2000Idaho State6544Sixth
2001Idaho State4716Seventh-Tie
2002Idaho State8352Champion-Tie
2003Idaho State8443Fourth-Tie
2004Idaho State3825Sixth-Tie
2005Idaho State5634Sixth-Tie
Idaho State Totals38402031
Asst. Coach Totals102 101 63 75
Head Coach Totals38402031
