Where is Marvin's Extension?

[rwalling]

I know it's really premature, but what the heck, inquiring minds want to know...

[Wraith]

Marvin is holding out for more control over player personnel decisions, Mike doesn't want to give that so therefore Marvin will walk at the end of the year and Zim will take over. This is not what I want to happen I think Marvin is terrific and would like him to retire a Bengals HC but knowing the personnalities involved I just don't see this happening, Marvin will go somewhere else and make them a SuperBowl champion and we will be sitting here complaining all over again about Mike's stubborness.

[walzav29]

This will be the biggest mistake in Mike's long list of mistakes. He luckily stumbles onto Marvin and is going to screw it up. I hope to God he gets a deal done.

[ArmyBengal]

It's stupid to let Marvin walk at this point in time. I still believe the best way to handle it is to extend Marvin as long as Zimmer was extended and then go from there. No reason to push anything in a direction it doesn't need to be pushed in. Marvin is coming off coach of the year honors when he put himself on the hotseat with the "I finally have a team of my type of guys" comment. He has delivered and think it would be a mistake to not see where this goes from there.

If he doesn't come back after this season, the only person I want to see get the job is Zimmer.

Then the real question becomes, who is the new defensive coordinator ?? SH*T !!!

[walzav29]

This year seems to be shaping up for all the marbles.

[ArmyBengal]

This year seems to be shaping up for all the marbles.

And my reply to that is "WHY?" when you could keep what was built and instead of having one great year, have multiple great years...

EDIT: The excuse of Mike not wanting Marvin to coach longer than his dear Dad is just pathetic.

[HoosierCat]

EDIT: The excuse of Mike not wanting Marvin to coach longer than his dear Dad is just pathetic.

Ah, yes, the Chickster strikes again, with maybe his stupidest blog entry ever.

C'mon, it's a matter of record that the Bengals twice tried to extend Lewis, once last October and again in January. That hardly sounds like the actions of a front office that doesn't want him to coach more years than dear ol' Paul.

As to whether Marvin is holding out for more control, I doubt it. Might as well hold out for it to rain $100 bills (well, OK, with Pacman on board that could happen). More resources, whether it be a bigger scouting department or more coaches, that I can see.

In the end, though, my bet is that it comes down to the usual: $$$$$. Last I heard, Marvin was one of the lowest-paid head coaches in the league. He just might want a fair market rate (especially if the team does as we hope and gets back to the postseason).

The other factor to consider is the potential of a work stoppage in 2011. I doubt any of the owners are anxious to be paying big bucks to a head coach during a strike/lockout/whatever.

[Kazkal]

Brat...Marvin Walks....

Then the real question becomes, who is the new defensive coordinator ?? SH*T !!!

Well I'd be fine with Fitzgerald who has been a great linebacker couch and would be in his 3rd year of working with zimmer or even giving Coyle a shot...If anything Zimm can still call the plays ala ryan.

[HoosierCat]

Brat.

If Marvin does leave, I think I'd rather have Brat move up to HC than Zimmer. That holds out the possibility of having a good OC and DC at the same time...

[BengalPimp]

Brat.

If Marvin does leave, I think I'd rather have Brat move up to HC than Zimmer. That holds out the possibility of having a good OC and DC at the same time...

Problem is......The Head Coach usually has the say in who he wants as an Offensive Coordinator......I don't want to trust Brat with that. Also....Brat Sucks !!!!!

[BengalPimp]

The other factor to consider is the potential of a work stoppage in 2011. I doubt any of the owners are anxious to be paying big bucks to a head coach during a strike/lockout/whatever.

If there is a work stoppage, Coaches don't get paid, neither do players....As a matter of fact, the only people who would still get paid are the owners, due to their endorsement/tv deals. The deals the NFL struck for TV rights with different networks, still obliges them to pay out even if there are no games to air. Hmmmmm

[HoosierCat]

If there is a work stoppage, Coaches don't get paid,

Actually, it appears most, if not all, of them will get paid, though likely not all of their contracts call for. It varies by team. However, Marvin won't have a contract in 2011, so Mikey (obviously) doesn't have to pay him. Unless he gets extended before then, which might suggest an answer to what could be holding such an extension up, eh?

Brown being cheap strikes me as a lot more likely than Marvin holding out for some sort of control pipe dream.

[slf]

Marvin has said it is not about money.

excerpted from: Marvin Lewis hints at "things" holding up contract extension

Posted by Michael David Smith on February 26, 2010 2:05 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis went on at some length when asked at the NFL scouting combine about the status of talks to extend his contract. But he offered little more than vague hints about certain "things" that need to get done before he'll re-sign with the team.

Lewis, who was named Associated Press coach of the year in 2009, has just one year left on his contract. He suggested when meeting with reporters that the issues he wants resolved before he'll sign a new deal have more to do with the structure of the team than how much money he'll make.

"There's a lot of things that go into that. In the direction of things that we're doing and how we're doing things that are important to me," Lewis said, per Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "There were things when I started in this job in 2003 that were important and we can't change those. They have to stay on track and I have to make sure we're continuing to progress that way. Those are the things that are more important to me as anything.

"I'm talking about structure, decision and how we do things and how I have the ability to do things that give us an opportunity to win football games."

Lewis wouldn't name any of those "things" in particular, but the "things" presumably involve making sure Lewis will have the autonomy to make the decisions he wants on matters related to personnel and his coaching staff. Whatever the "things" are, Lewis says he's not stressing the final year of his contract.

...

Gee, and we all know how easy it is to change Mike Brown's mind on how to run the team. I fear they will allow ML to move on.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Brat.

If Marvin does leave, I think I'd rather have Brat move up to HC than Zimmer. That holds out the possibility of having a good OC and DC at the same time...

I hear that. My worry is that from watching Hard Knocks, he seems too low key to be an effective leader. Also doesn't seem like a "guy's guy" type that tends to succeed as a head coach.

I'd see another Bruce Coslet situation, where the inmates end up running the asylum. I guess Zim would keep the D in line at least - for as long as he stayed around anyway, I don't know how happy he'd be if he got passed over for HC in favor of Brat.

[bwillycuse]

Absolotely NO BRAT for Head Coach!!!!

I like Marvin but his game management skills are just not there. I like how he manages the players though. Players seem to like him. Listen to him to a point.

But HOW DO YOU USE (and lose) ALL YOUR REVIEWS SO FAST AGAINST THE JETS!!!??!!!

I want Marvin to stay but he needs to improve on the game management.

[jjakq27]

From Chick Ludwig's blog: He thinks Marvin is done after this season.

/>http://cincinnati.com/blogs/ludwig/2010/05/10/is-eight-enough-for-marvin-lewis/

Is eight enough for Marvin Lewis?

Posted by cludwig May 10th, 2010, 6:37 am

It permeates the franchise from high atop the executive offices all the way down to the locker room in Paul Brown Stadium. It affects the club’s present and future.

It continues to linger like storm clouds with impending rain.

We’re all knee deep in the hoopla surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals’ newest players — cornerback Adam Jones and free safety Gibril Wilson. But there’s another much more pressing issue that haunts the team with no resolution in sight.We’re talking about head coach Marvin Lewis’ future here. His contract runs out after the 2010 season. And what we all took for granted — the mere formality of a signed contract extension after the 2009 playoff season — hasn’t happened.

Inquiring minds are pressing me with the question: Will Lewis return in 2011? I say no.

I believe this season will be his final one as head coach of the Bengals.To me, eight is enough. Years, that is. Franchise founder and Pro Football Hall of Fame legend Paul Brown coached the Bengals for eight seasons (1968-75), the same number of years as Lewis’ reign (2003-2010). http://www.paulebrownmuseum.com/pb_chronology.htm I don’t believe there’s any way owner Mike Brown will allow Marvin Lewis to coach the team longer than Mike’s dad did. And I believe Marvin is fine with that.

There are folks inside the organization who believe Mike and Marvin will reach a mutual agreement that this season will be Lewis’ last in The Nati.

If Lewis were coming back in 2011, an extension would have been signed by now. We’re seeing an array of veteran free agent signings as a final push to the Super Bowl before Lewis’ departure.

To me, he’s “out” after 2010 and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is “in” in 2011. If Marvin chooses to continue to coach, he’ll get snapped up in a New York minute by any number of teams. If Marvin chooses not to coach, he’ll look good in a suit on the set of a network television studio.

Remember: Lewis can’t be fired after the season — if the team bombs — because his contract simply runs out. How sweet is that? Lewis isn’t a lame duck. He’s a lucky duck.

[HoosierCat]

Marvin has said it is not about money.

Maybe not to him, but Mikey is another thing altogether. No head coach = more money for Mikey if there's no football in 2011 -- and if a deal is reached there's always time to sweeten an offer to Marvin.

As to what Marvin wants, I don't think it's "control."

"There were things when I started in this job in 2003 that were important and we can't change those. They have to stay on track and I have to make sure we're continuing to progress that way. Those are the things that are more important to me as anything.

To me, what Marvin is talking about is continued investment in the team, from things like the new weight room and the snazzy video scouting system to an increased willingness to dive into free agency, all things we've seen since Lewis "started in this job in 2003." Lewis isn't dumb. He knows Mikey is not going to change how he runs the show, and he certainly isn't going to can family members or reduce their roles in favor of Marvin or others from outside Brown, Inc. But he does know that he can move the organization -- slowly and grudgingly -- in a more professional direction. I think the next improvement he has an eye on is the infamous bubble, which he's publicly lobbied for.

[Wraith]

That is the way I read it as well but I think that is a horrific mistake. I know he has rubbed some members of the media the wrong way with his ascerbic and terse comments in press conferences but given what he has to work with (smallest organization in Professional Sports, smallest scouting staff in professional sports, a team owner who is stuck in 1965 from an organizational perspective, nepotism running rampantly through the organization) he has won more games than he has lost and has captured two division titles in 7 years in argueably the toughest division in the NFL (in those same 7 years Pittsburgh has won 3 and the Ravens are tied with the Bengals at two, Cleveland has 0) and only had two losing seasons (7-9 in 2007 and 4-11-1 in 2008 when he lost his starting QB for most of the year) Baltimore, in that time has also had 2 losing seasons and they are held up as one of the best organizations in the NFL.

[jjakq27]

That is the way I read it as well but I think that is a horrific mistake. I know he has rubbed some members of the media the wrong way with his ascerbic and terse comments in press conferences but given what he has to work with (smallest organization in Professional Sports, smallest scouting staff in professional sports, a team owner who is stuck in 1965 from an organizational perspective, nepotism running rampantly through the organization) he has won more games than he has lost and has captured two division titles in 7 years in argueably the toughest division in the NFL (in those same 7 years Pittsburgh has won 3 and the Ravens are tied with the Bengals at two, Cleveland has 0) and only had two losing seasons (7-9 in 2007 and 4-11-1 in 2008 when he lost his starting QB for most of the year) Baltimore, in that time has also had 2 losing seasons and they are held up as one of the best organizations in the NFL.

Well said. I think last season reaffirmed my belief that Marvin is a quality head coach. As much as like Zimmer, I would prefer another year or two of Marvin at this point.

[HoosierCat]

In other Marvin Lewis news, he's going to jump out of an airplane.

[COB]

In other Marvin Lewis news, he's going to jump out of an airplane.

Has anyone seen Marvin run after he had surgery on his leg a couple years ago? It's not pretty. Hopefully, he'll land right, because it looks to me like his one leg isn't right.

[TJJackson]

Any chance Son-of-a-Genius will also jump?

I'm guessing he'll want the cheapest parachute available, one no one else wants

Mind you, parachutes are not exactly an item most folks would recommend going the cheap route on

[HairOnFire]

Marvin will still be the head coach after this season.

No worries.

[ArmyBengal]

This is what I was commenting about yesterday:

I don’t believe there’s any way owner Mike Brown will allow Marvin Lewis to coach the team longer than Mike’s dad did.

Chick Ludwig, you sir are a f*cking idiot !!!

[BengalPimp]

Any chance Son-of-a-Genius will also jump?

I'm guessing he'll want the cheapest parachute available

I'd be more than happy to pack his chute for him........