NFL: Each team’s greatest head coach in franchise history

Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images)
Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images) /
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Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals
Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images) /

Cincinnati Bengals: Marvin Lewis (2003-18)

Selecting the best Cincinnati Bengals head coach of all time isn’t an easy task. Sam Wyche is a name that comes to mind, as he was the man who took their offense to new heights by introducing the no-huddle offense in the mid-1980s. He coached from 1984 through 1991 and even took the team to a Super Bowl, but finished with a career record of 61-66.

There’s also Forrest Gregg, who only coached for four seasons but took them to their first-ever Super Bowl after the 1981 NFL season. Gregg was 32-25 as a coach, but the short tenure hurts him.

In the end, the winner has to be the most tenured coach — Marvin Lewis. It may not be a popular choice given that the team fell off in the last couple of seasons with Lewis. But for most of his 16 seasons coaching the Bengals, they were a competitive team. He made the playoffs seven times and the team won double-digits six times during his tenure.

Unfortunately, Lewis will likely be remembered for what he couldn’t do — which was win a postseason game. The former Baltimore Ravens and Washington Football Team defensive coordinator went 0-7 in those contests which hurts his legacy.

Even with that negative mark on his résumé, Lewis won 131 games in his career and is the only coach in Cincinnati’s history to win more than 100. For that reason, he becomes the choice here.