Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; National Football League member Ray Lewis stands on the field before the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis is a potential candidate to fill the head-coaching vacancy at Florida Atlantic, according to an ESPN report.
No formal communication or interview has taken place as of Wednesday morning, according to CBS Sports.
Second-year coach Tom Herman was fired Monday after going 6-16 in his short tenure at the Boca Raton school.
Lewis, 49, won two Super Bowls during a storied 17-year career with the Baltimore Ravens, who picked him in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He’s a 13-time Pro Bowler and seven-time First-team All-Pro who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Among other NFL records, Lewis has the most tackles and most solo tackles in league history and is the only NFL player to have at least 40 career sacks and 30 career interceptions.
However, Lewis has no coaching experience at the pro or collegiate level.
According to ESPN, a hire of Ray Lewis could be modeled after the success of Deion Sanders, another Pro Football Hall of Fame defender who was hired at the collegiate level with no coaching experience. In two seasons at the helm of the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders has led the team from a 1-11 record before his arrival to fighting for spot in the Big 12 title game with an 8-2 record (6-1 Big 12). He previously coached at Jackson State.
Since his retirement from the NFL, Lewis has worked in multiple media positions, including several years for ESPN.
Lewis grew up in Lakeland, Fla., and played two seasons of college football at Miami.
–Field Level Media