Football
Lewis, Sean
vs
TCU
Oct 4 (Sat)
5:30 p.m.
Sean Lewis
- Title:
- Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Sean Lewis, most recently the head coach at Kent State, was named the offensive coordinator by Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders on Dec. 6, 2022.Â
Lewis led the Kent State program from 2018-22, taking a program that struggled significantly before his arrival and made them respectable. Lewis was 31 when he was hired at Kent State in 2017, becoming the youngest head coach in FBS by three years, where he compiled a 24-31 overall record and 19-17 record in league play.Â
Kent State was 2-10 in his first season (1-7 in MAC play) and played three Power 5 programs each season he was there except for the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.  Over the past four seasons, Kent State was 22-21 overall and 17-10 in league play. Taking out the Power 5 games, that record improves to 22-9.
His first team at Kent State saw dramatic improvement in several statistical categories, including improvements of 11.2 points per game and 108.4 yards per game over the previous season. Then in 2019, he orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in college football that season, improving by five wins and earning a win in the Tropical Smoothie Café Frisco Bowl, just the fourth bowl game in school history and the program's first bowl victory.Â
In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he led the Golden Flashes to a 3-1 record, securing the first back-to-back winning seasons since 1976-77 at Kent State. His "FlastFAST" offense led the FBS in total offense at 606.5 yards per game while scoring 49.8 points per game. Kent State defeated Akron 69-35 and scored 10 touchdowns, giving Kent State back-to-back wins in the Wagon Wheel rivalry.Â
In 2021, Kent State set program records for plays (1,052), yards (6,907), first downs (362), rushing yards (3,482) and passing yards (3,425). The Golden Flashes had the top non-service academy rushing attack in the country and ranked fourth in the FBS in total offense averaging 495 yards per game, earning a spot in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.Â
Prior to Kent State, Lewis was the co-offensive coordinator under Dino Barbers at Syracuse. He joined Barbers' staff at Eastern Illinois in 2012 and followed Barbers as he ascended to Bowling Green (2014-15) and eventually Syracuse (2016-17).Â
In 2017, Syracuse averaged 456.3 yards and 24.4 first downs per game and defeated defending national champion Clemson 27-24 on Oct. 13. His Orange offense led the nation in snaps per game (87.8) and in 2016, his offense set or tied 40 school records including most passing yards (3,855) while the 5,290 yards of total offense was second most in program history.
At Bowling Green, his 2015 offense ranked fourth in the nation at 546.8 yards per game and sixth in scoring at 42.2 points per game. He was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Matt Johnson, who was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year and finished second nationally with 4,946 yards and 46 touchdowns.Â
At Eastern Illinois, the Panthers made the FCS Playoffs both seasons he was there and reached the quarterfinals in 2013 with a 12-2 record with an offense led by Jimmy Garoppolo.Â
His coaching career began as the offensive coordinator at Richards High School in Illinois. He coached under Gary Korhoven, who earned National High School Coach of the Year honors. His first college coaching job was in 2010 at Nebraska-Omaha and he was a graduate assistant at Akron for the 2011 season.Â
He played collegiately at Wisconsin under coach Barry Alvarez and then-offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, playing quarterback and tight end and earning Academic All-Big Ten honors twice. He graduated from the school in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in agricultural sciences in 2007.Â
He and his wife Sarah have two children.
Â
Lewis led the Kent State program from 2018-22, taking a program that struggled significantly before his arrival and made them respectable. Lewis was 31 when he was hired at Kent State in 2017, becoming the youngest head coach in FBS by three years, where he compiled a 24-31 overall record and 19-17 record in league play.Â
Kent State was 2-10 in his first season (1-7 in MAC play) and played three Power 5 programs each season he was there except for the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.  Over the past four seasons, Kent State was 22-21 overall and 17-10 in league play. Taking out the Power 5 games, that record improves to 22-9.
His first team at Kent State saw dramatic improvement in several statistical categories, including improvements of 11.2 points per game and 108.4 yards per game over the previous season. Then in 2019, he orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in college football that season, improving by five wins and earning a win in the Tropical Smoothie Café Frisco Bowl, just the fourth bowl game in school history and the program's first bowl victory.Â
In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he led the Golden Flashes to a 3-1 record, securing the first back-to-back winning seasons since 1976-77 at Kent State. His "FlastFAST" offense led the FBS in total offense at 606.5 yards per game while scoring 49.8 points per game. Kent State defeated Akron 69-35 and scored 10 touchdowns, giving Kent State back-to-back wins in the Wagon Wheel rivalry.Â
In 2021, Kent State set program records for plays (1,052), yards (6,907), first downs (362), rushing yards (3,482) and passing yards (3,425). The Golden Flashes had the top non-service academy rushing attack in the country and ranked fourth in the FBS in total offense averaging 495 yards per game, earning a spot in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.Â
Prior to Kent State, Lewis was the co-offensive coordinator under Dino Barbers at Syracuse. He joined Barbers' staff at Eastern Illinois in 2012 and followed Barbers as he ascended to Bowling Green (2014-15) and eventually Syracuse (2016-17).Â
In 2017, Syracuse averaged 456.3 yards and 24.4 first downs per game and defeated defending national champion Clemson 27-24 on Oct. 13. His Orange offense led the nation in snaps per game (87.8) and in 2016, his offense set or tied 40 school records including most passing yards (3,855) while the 5,290 yards of total offense was second most in program history.
At Bowling Green, his 2015 offense ranked fourth in the nation at 546.8 yards per game and sixth in scoring at 42.2 points per game. He was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Matt Johnson, who was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year and finished second nationally with 4,946 yards and 46 touchdowns.Â
At Eastern Illinois, the Panthers made the FCS Playoffs both seasons he was there and reached the quarterfinals in 2013 with a 12-2 record with an offense led by Jimmy Garoppolo.Â
His coaching career began as the offensive coordinator at Richards High School in Illinois. He coached under Gary Korhoven, who earned National High School Coach of the Year honors. His first college coaching job was in 2010 at Nebraska-Omaha and he was a graduate assistant at Akron for the 2011 season.Â
He played collegiately at Wisconsin under coach Barry Alvarez and then-offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, playing quarterback and tight end and earning Academic All-Big Ten honors twice. He graduated from the school in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in agricultural sciences in 2007.Â
He and his wife Sarah have two children.
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| Years | Position |
| 2008-09 | Richards (Ill.) High School (OC) |
| 2010 | Nebraska Omaha (TE) |
| 2011 | Akron (GA) |
| 2012-13 | Eastern Illinois (IWR/TE) |
| 2014 | Bowling Green (WR) |
| 2015 | Bowling Green (co-OC/QB) |
| 2016-17 | Syracuse (co-OC/QB) |
| 2018-22 | Kent State (HC) |
By The Numbers
Year's Coaching: 15
Full Time College: 12
Power 5: 2
Head Coach: 5
Coordinator: 3
10 Win Seasons: 2
Bowl Games: 4
Conference Champions: 2
Division Champions: 1
Playoffs: 2
All-Conference: 41
All-Americans: 9
Game: 144
Wins: 74
Â
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