CINCINNATI -- Marvin Lewis is a man who does not back away from a challenge, and no one in the NFL will be facing a bigger one during the 2003 season.

On Jan. 14, 44-year-old Lewis signed on as head coach of the Bengals. Although only 32 such job opportunities are available, it's safe to assume that no team in pro football -- and perhaps no team in pro sports -- is held in lower regard than the Bengals.

From 1990-99, they went 52-108. Their .325 winning percentage was the worst decade-long performance in NFL history.

They were even worse the next three seasons, going 12-36 (.250). In 2002, they finished 2-14, the worst record since the franchise was founded in 1968.

The three head coaches who preceded Lewis all failed miserably. Dave Shula went 19-52 (.268); Bruce Coslet went 21-39 (.350); and Dick LeBeau finished 12-33 (.267).

	One of Lewis' main priorities will be to make the Bengals a consistently competitive team.

So why would Lewis, who built an impeccable reputation during an 11-year run as an assistant in Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Washington, want to gamble his professional future on a team with so much baggage?

"It was a good opportunity to go to a team and have an opportunity to try to shape and mold everything from the ground up," he said shortly after he was hired. "This is about hard work. Places don't lose. People win and lose. I have a plan."

He has never spelled out that plan in detail, but it's becoming increasingly clear he has considerably more power and input than any of the coaches who followed Paul Brown, the team's legendary founder.

Mike Brown has run the team since his father died in 1991 and has been a lightning rod for criticism in Cincinnati. He has been panned most often for exerting too much control over the team's day-to-day operations, for refusing to spend the money it takes to acquire quality free agents and for relying on the league's smallest scouting department to evaluate talent.

On the day he announced the hiring of Lewis, Brown said: "He sold us. We think he will sell the people of Cincinnati. We worked hard to get this right. We worked hard for the (coaching) candidates, the team and the fans. "We turned over a new leaf for the Bengals."

Since that day in mid-January, Brown virtually has disappeared from public view. He resurfaced to make a few comments on the first day of the draft but for the most part has declined interview requests, leaving Lewis alone on the stage.

"We agreed that it was important for the head coach to be the voice of the team," Lewis said. "He was going to be the one who set the tone and the direction of everything we were going to do. Otherwise, we've got people pulling in different directions. We want to all stay on the same page and work together to win football games."

Only the second head coach from outside of the Bengals' organization, and the first since Forrest Gregg was hired in 1980, Lewis immediately started to stress accountability.

"The first thing was to realize that everyone in this building (Paul Brown Stadium) was a part of 2-14," Lewis said. "We get one opportunity to change that. We're either part of the problem or part of the solution. That's where we started. That's what everybody had to realize."

The hiring of Lewis apparently led Brown to make other changes. Soon after Lewis was hired, the Bengals brought in well-respected personnel man Bill Tobin as a consultant. They added John Garrett as a full-time scout and began preparing to reduce the scouting responsibilities of the assistant coaches.

"One of the things we (he and Brown) talked about was to make sure we had people in place and doing the right things," Lewis said. "I felt that would give us the best chance to get the proper (talent) evaluation done and utilize the coaches in the right fashion."

Lewis was also given the go-ahead to wave some big-money contracts in front of some veteran free agents. He was able to sign a number of players who will make immediate contributions, including linebacker Kevin Hardy, cornerbackTory James, tight end Reggie Kelly and defensive linemen John Thornton, Carl Powell and Duane Clemons.

	“	Everything has to be different. We need to change everything that has been associated with 12 years of losing football. We need an overhaul of ideas and attitudes. ”
		— OT Willie Anderson

"Mike takes a lot of abuse for things that really he doesn't control like people think he does," Lewis said. "He has given me every opportunity to put things in place that will help us get closer to where we want to go."

In addition to the changes in the scouting department and the freedom to be active in free agency, Lewis was able to hire some of his own assistant coaches.

"Those were all things that people said they would never allow me to do," Lewis said. "That hasn't been the case at all. Mike has been extremely supportive of everything we've wanted to do. All he wants to do is win. People question that about him, but they're so, so wrong."

All the new free agents can base their opinions on is what they have seen so far.

"Cincinnati, to me, was a perfect fit," James said. "After talking to Coach Lewis and (defensive coordinator Leslie) Frazier and seeing the system, there was no doubt I wanted to be here."

Lewis, all of the new signees agreed, was one of the main factors in their decisions.

"You know his reputation," said Thornton. "You always want to play for somebody like that, somebody who has had success. With a couple of more players, this thing could get turned around real quick."

The holdover players also are sold on Lewis and what he brings to the organization.

"Marvin is a strong guy," said running back Corey Dillon. "His personality is great, and he brings a lot of knowledge to the table as far as handling certain situations. Just to be around him and absorb some of what he's got is awesome. He's got a lot to teach, and we've got a lot to learn."

Quarterback Jon Kitna has been on board from the moment Lewis was hired.

"I think it was the best decision that could have been made," Kitna said."He's someone who will command the attention and respect of all 53 players."

Offensive captain Willie Anderson likes what he has seen so far, but the eight-year veteran right tackle is still trying to put those visions into perspective.

"The Bengals should be commended for doing something against their character by getting an outside guy," Anderson said. "They're opening up now. It's kind of like they're being hip to understanding what's needed."

But Anderson still is waiting to see the full range of changes Lewis will bring.

"Everything has to be different," Anderson said. "We need to change everything that has been associated with 12 years of losing football. We need an overhaul of ideas and attitudes. I just hope the Bengals let him run his own training camp and let him do what he needs to do."

This is Lewis' first head-coaching job at any level, but his résumé indicates he knows something about instituting changes. At each of his stops as an assistant, he worked with a first-year NFL head coach -- Bill Cowher (Steelers), Brian Billick (Ravens) and Steve Spurrier (Redskins).

"I've been fortunate to be on the staffs of three first-time NFL coaches, and all three were successful," Lewis said. "There are a lot of things I've been able to draw from those experiences that we've implemented here."

Bengals fans can only hope the implementation leads to success on the field. Lewis understands that, but he isn't ready to make any bold predictions.

"Everyone will be held to a high standard, and once those standards are established, anything else will be viewed as going backwards," Lewis said. "We're going to have to fight through some adversity, but before you can win, you have to learn how to win. You have to learn how not to lose."

Marty Williams covers the Bengals for the Dayton Daily News.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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