Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

[ChristopherWalken]

No source here, just personal speculation.

Is it possible the Bills have already made a hand shake deal with Notre Dame's former Asst. Head Coach, and defensive guru Bill Lewis?

In 2008, Bill Lewis was forced into retirement as he required a double hip replacement. At that time Charlie Weis chose Jon Tenuta to fill Lewiis's shoes. Today, Lewis works with the Notre Dame Athletics Department in Community Relations and plays an instrumental role in the Irish's recruiting game, most specifically recruiting from the southeast region.

Now that the Irish have plugged in a new coaching class, is it possible Lewis was looking to get back into the game having fully recovered from his hip replacement but had his hopes dashed when Fighting Irish new HC Kelly didn't give him a 2nd look for DC? - possibly...

Here's where the theory gets thick...could it be that Lewis is just assisting Notre Dame in completing their recruiting and plans on joining Buffalo as soon as all prospects are signed in accounted for?

What's even more interesting about this theory, is that Bill Lewis coached with both Chan Gailey and DL coach Bill Sanders as recent as 2001 in Miami under Dave Wannstedt.

This guy is a defensive guru (44 years experience) and if you don't believe me research his back ground a little more here: http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/m...is_bill00.html

I know what some of you are going to say..."He's 69 years old"!! True, but Pittsburgh's DC Dick LeBeau is 73. And don't let the hip replacement thing fool you, Lewis still runs almost 8 miles a day and was before the surgery.

These guys itch to get back to sidelines all the time. His career was cut shorter than he expected, and was quite possibly looking for another opportunity when Tenuta and Weis were ousted.

Could be I'm drawing straws here, but it seems to have a logical tone to it as well.

Other info on Lewis I dug up:

http://irish.nbcsports.com/system/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=21&tag=Rich%20Rodriguez&limit=20

http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/013108aab.html

His remarkable coaching lineage:

Year School/Team Assignment
1963 East Stroudsburg State QBs/Receivers/Secondary
1964 East Stroudsburg State QBs/Receivers/Secondary
1965 East Stroudsburg State QBs/Receivers/Secondary
1966 Pittsburgh Defensive Backs
1967 Pittsburgh Defensive Backs
1968 Pittsburgh Defensive Backs
1969 Wake Forest Defensive Backs
1970 Wake Forest (6-5) Defensive Backs
1971 Georgia Tech (6-6, Peach Bowl) Defensive Backs
1972 Georgia Tech (7-4-1, Liberty Bowl champ, #20) Defensive Backs
1973 Arkansas (5-5-1) Defensive Backs
1974 Arkansas (6-4-1) Defensive Backs
1975 Arkansas (10-2, Cotton Bowl champ, #7) Defensive Backs
1976 Arkansas (5-5-1) Defensive Backs
1977 Wyoming Head Coach
1978 Wyoming Head Coach
1979 Wyoming Head Coach
1980 Georgia (12-0, Sugar Bowl champ, #1) Defensive Backs
1981 Georgia (10-2, Sugar Bowl, #6) Defensive Coordinator/DBs
1982 Georgia (11-1, Sugar Bowl, #4) Defensive Coordinator/DBs
1983 Georgia (10-1-1, Cotton Bowl champ, #4) Defensive Coordinator/DBs
1984 Georgia (7-4-1, Citrus Bowl) Defensive Coordinator/DBs
1985 Georgia (7-3-2, Sun Bowl) Defensive Coordinator/DBs
1986 Georgia (8-4, Hall of Fame Bowl) Defensive Coordinator/DBs
1987 Georgia (9-3, Liberty Bowl champ, #13) Defensive Coordinator/DBs
1988 Georgia (9-3, Gator Bowl champ, #15) Defensive Coordinator/DBs
1989 East Carolina (5-5-1) Head Coach
1990 East Carolina Head Coach
1991 East Carolina (11-1, Peach Bowl champ, #9) Head Coach
1992 Georgia Tech Head Coach
1993 Georgia Tech Head Coach
1994 Georgia Tech Head Coach
1995 The Marist School (Ga.) Director of Athletics
1996 Miami Dolphins (8-8) Defensive Nickel Package
1997 Miami Dolphins (9-7, NFL Wild Card qualifier) Defensive Nickel Package
1998 Miami Dolphins (10-6, NFL Divisional qualifier) Defensive Nickel Package
1999 Miami Dolphins (9-7, NFL Divisional qualifier) Defensive Nickel Package
2000 Miami Dolphins (11-5, NFL Divisional qualifier) Defensive Nickel Package
2001 Miami Dolphins (11-5, NFL Wild Card qualifier) Defensive Nickel Package
2002 Miami Dolphins (9-7) Defensive Nickel Package
2003 Miami Dolphins (10-6) Defensive Nickel Package
2004 Miami Dolphins Defensive Nickel Package
2005 Notre Dame (9-3, Fiesta Bowl, #9) Asst. Head Coach (Defense)/Defensive Backs
2006 Notre Dame (10-3, Sugar Bowl, #11) Asst. Head Coach (Defense)/Defensive Backs
2007 Notre Dame Asst. Head Coach (Defense)/Defensive Backs

[Mitchell55]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

Hopefully, he sounds decent

[PECKERWOOD]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

My response after looking at his track record: "Holy ****, ****er is old."

[ChristopherWalken]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

My response after looking at his track record: "Holy ****, ****er is old."

Same here, and he is. Born in 1941.

Dick LeBeau was born in 1937.

[BillsWin]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

I'm still rooting for Ted Cottrell or Vic Fangio, but I like Bill Lewis. He knows his stuff.

Even still, I think Cottrell could come back to Buffalo. He has ran both 4-3 and 3-4 and could make the transition easy on the young players.

With Buffalo Before his 3-4 defenses ranked, (please fact check for me) 1st, 6th and 3rd.

[YardRat]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

Interesting find. Fits in with the delay, and has ties to Gailey.

We'll know by next Thursday

[The Spaz]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

Everybody on this staff seems old. Why break the trend...lol

[elltrain22]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

I'd be on board with him, provided he's still alive by the time he finally makes his decision!!

[DraftBoy]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

Would stick with the 4-3 system more than likely but he's a very proven and well known coach. I liked him at Notre Dame as well, before Corwin Brown took over.

[Syderick]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

Who cares how old he is. If he can coach a decent defense, why not?

[Mitchell55]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

I really dont care about age at all. As long as he can still stay up to 5 am, he should be fine

[ByrdsTheWord]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

I really dont care about age at all. As long as he can still stay up to 5 am, he should be fine

Cuz coaches that sleep before 5 AM are bad coaches. Slackers.

[Bills41]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

Same here, and he is. Born in 1941.

Dick LeBeau was born in 1937.

Wow these guys are old enough to be my grandfather. Nobody can coach when they are that old. Do you hear me Joe Paterno?

[Lone Stranger]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

I am surprised at the interest in Cottrell. He hasn't done much lately. Tends to be very vanilla in his approach.

[Meathead]

Re: Thought: Could Bills have deal worked out with defensive guru Bill Lewis?

he might be 'old' but if he runs eight miles a day he could still kick your ass