Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards promoted special advisor Marvin Lewis and linebackers coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday to serve as co-defensive coordinators for the 2020 season.
The duo will replace Danny Gonzales, who left in December to be head coach at New Mexico. Tony White initially was named Gonzales’ replacement, but he took a job as Syracuse’s defensive coordinator on Tuesday.
Lewis, 61, joined the Sun Devils as a special advisor last May after parting ways with the Cincinnati Bengals, ending a 16-year tenure as head coach.
His background is defense, as he was a longtime linebackers coach in college, held the same position for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1992-95 and then coordinated the Baltimore Ravens’ defense from 1996-2001, including the historic 2000 unit that won a Super Bowl.
“Marvin Lewis is someone that I have come to trust wholeheartedly during my career and his coaching acumen will prove to be invaluable as we continue to push this program forward,” Edwards said in a statement.
Pierce, 41, has been Arizona State’s linebackers coach since 2017, after coaching high school in California. He played linebacker for nine years in the NFL, including five with the New York Giants, with whom he reached the 2006 Pro Bowl and helped win a Super Bowl following the 2007 season.
“Antonio Pierce has established himself as one of the elite recruiters in the nation and is one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches around,” Edwards said in a statement.
The Sun Devils’ defense allowed 22.4 points (35th in the nation) and 393.3 yards (67th) per game last season.
