KENT, OHIO – The Kent State Golden Flashes named 31-year old Sean Lewis as the 21st head coach in school history Thursday afternoon in a press conference at the Integrated Science Building on campus.
Lewis takes over for Paul Haynes whose contract was not renewed after five seasons. In 2017 the Flashes went 2-10 overall and 1-7 in Mid-American Conference play.
Lewis comes from . . .
A native of Oak Lawn, Illinois Lewis went to school at Wisconsin from 2004-07, playing for head coaches Barry Alvarez and Brett Bielema. During that time, the Badgers went 40-11, participating in three bowl games.
Lewis started coaching at the high school level before heading onto Division II Nebraska-Omaha in 2010. In 2011 he was a graduate assistant at Akron under then head coach Rob Ianello.
When Babers took the head coaching job at Bowling Green in 2014, Lewis came along as his offensive coordinator.
Over their two years in Northwest Ohio, the Falcons had one of the most explosive offenses in the MAC. Quarterbacks James Knapke and Matt Johnson, RBs Travis Greene and Fred Coppet, along with receivers Ronnie Moore and Roger Lewis thrived in the system.
BGSU went 18-10 in those two years, winning the MAC Eastern Division each season with a 12-4 conference mark over the two seasons. The Falcons went 1-1 against Jordan Lynch-led Northern Illinois in MAC Championship matchups. Bowling Green lost in 2014, 52-27, but it won a title rematchin in an upset the following year.
The Falcons also also went 1-1 in bowl play, defeating South Alabama in the Camellia Bowl, while losing to Georgia Southern in the Go-Daddy Bowl.
One day after BGSU defeated the Huskies in 2005, Babers accepted the head coaching job at Syracuse and Lewis followed him to Central New York.
The past two seasons, SU has gone 8-16, with victories over Virginia Tech and Clemson heading the resume.
Now that the Flashes have their man, Lewis can start putting together a staff and embark on some serious recruiting. KSU signed just two student athletes on Wednesday's early signing day. One day after taking over, Lewis announced the signing of linebacker Ishmael Robinson from the Washington, DC area to a letter of intent. More players will be inked when signings reopen Feb. 7.
Kent State opens its 2018 campaign September 1st at Illinois. It will also head to Penn State and Ole Miss as part of their non-conference schedule before MAC play begins.