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NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis reportedly a candidate for CFB opening in Deion Sanders-type model
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NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, who once wowed fans with his sheer ability and charisma, has emerged as a candidate to be the next head coach at Florida Atlantic, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday. FAU fired its former head coach, Tom Herman, on Monday after it had gone 2-8 this season on the heels of going 4-8 in Herman’s first season at the helm in 2023.
Schefter also noted that Lewis being a potential candidate is also due in large part to Deion Sanders’ success at Colorado. The Buffaloes are 8-2 in his 2nd season as head coach and are 2 wins away from playing for the Big 12 Championship and could potentially reach the College Football Playoff.
Following the Deion Sanders-to-Colorado model, Hall-of-Fame linebacker Ray Lewis has emerged as a candidate to become the next head coach at Florida Atlantic University, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/eZk8av3Vcc
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 20, 2024
Over his 17-year playing career with the Baltimore Ravens, Lewis became 1 of the greatest linebackers the NFL has ever seen. Lewis was a 12-time Pro Bowler and a 7-time first-team All-Pro. He was also a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year and helped lead the Ravens to 2 Super Bowl victories.
Lewis led the league in tackles 3 times and is the NFL’s all-time leader in tackles with 2,059. If he got the Owls’ job, he would be replacing Herman, who couldn’t duplicate the success he had at Houston and even Texas, where he coached from 2017-20 and went 32-18.
Lewis, 49, starred in college at Miami but has never coached at all, so this would be his very first coaching job anywhere, let alone at the college level.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
