BOULDER – Sean Lewis, 37, was announced as the next head football coach at San Diego State University this past Wednesday. Lewis’ stint at Colorado lasted less than a year after he left his head coaching position at Kent State to become the offensive coordinator for Coach Prime’s first staff here in Boulder.
As a head coach at Kent State Lewis was highly respected despite just a 24-31 record overall. Lewis led the Golden Flashes to three top two finishes in the Mid-American Conference’s (MAC) East division and made the MAC championship in 2021.
Lewis' time in Kent, Ohio was considered one of the most successful tenures at Kent State since the 1970s. The Golden Flashes unraveled without Lewis this year, finishing 1-11, and is now considered one of the worst football programs in the country.
Lewis, on the other hand, is considered one of the brightest young offensive minds in college football. He was also rumored to be a potential candidate for the offensive coordinator position at Notre Dame this past offseason but ultimately stuck with Coach Prime’s coaching staff.
The Buffaloes averaged just over 32 points per game with Lewis as the play caller through the first eight games of the season. However, looking for a shake-up Coach Prime made a change of his play caller to Pat Shurmur. The Buffs’ offense averaged 15 points per game after the change.
Lewis will take over a San Diego State program after their previous head coach Brady Hoke announced his retirement. In Hoke’s final year of his four-year tenure at SDSU, the Aztecs went 4-8 overall, including 2-6 in conference.
The Aztecs are one of the more appealing programs in the Mountain West due to their location in the recruiting hotbed of southern California. The school recently built a brand-new football stadium and was considered a main candidate for a Power 5 invite before the collapse of the Pac-12.
This will be the first experience Lewis has had living full-time on the West Coast, as he played at Wisconsin and spent the bulk of his career coaching in the Midwest.
Cover photo by Talus Schreiber/Sko Buffs Sports
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