Marvin Lewis Will Not Return To Cincinnati Bengals Unless Major Changes Are Made

After being named Associated Press Coach of the Year in 2009 and guiding the Cincinnati Bengals to just their second playoff appearance since 1990, head coach Marvin Lewis made a stunning decision when he declined to accept a contract extension from the Bengals.

The inability of Lewis and the Bengals front office to come to an agreement on an extension after the successful 2009 campaign was very puzzling, considering that Marvin Lewis’ original contract is set to expire after the end of the 2010 season.

Now, fast-forward to the final week of the 2010 season, with the Bengals having just finished their regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, and Marvin Lewis still hasn’t signed his contract extension.

Marvin Lewis was hired as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003 and in his eight years with the team, he has amassed a record of 60-66-1. Lewis has also led the Bengals to a pair of AFC North division titles in 2005 and '09.

Earlier today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter finally shed some light on the curious case of the unsigned contract.

Schefter reported that Lewis will not return as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011, unless the franchise makes serious changes to the way they run their operations. Lewis’s main demands are that the Bengals upgrade their training facilities and their player personnel department.

According to league sources, Lewis will meet early this week with team owner Mike Brown to discuss the proposed changes he would like to see, and ultimately discuss his future with the Bengals. Brown’s desire, or lack thereof, to accommodate Lewis’ demands will ultimately determine whether Lewis will return as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011.

Cincinnati is one of the few NFL franchises that doesn’t have a general manager. Instead, Brown chooses to take on the general manager’s responsibilities and duties himself.

Another issue that Lewis will most likely bring up is the Bengals' thin player personnel department. There have been grumblings from fans for many years about Cincinnati’s scouting department.

No list of potential head coaches has been discussed yet should Lewis choose not to return to the team next season. One name that will certainly be discussed, though, is Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Zimmer previously served as defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons before agreeing to take over the Bengals defense in 2008. Once again, though, all of this speculation about potential new head coaches could become a moot point if Lewis and Brown are able to reach a common ground in their meetings.