University of New Mexico head football coach Rocky Long today named Osia Lewis (pronounced O-say) defensive coordinator. Lewis comes to UNM after six seasons (1997-2002) as a defensive assistant at the University of Illinois. He replaces Bronco Mendenhall, who last month accepted the defensive coordinator position at BYU.
Lewis, 40, is hooking up with Rocky Long for the second time as the two coaches spent five seasons together (1991-95) at Oregon State. Long was the Beavers’ defensive coordinator under head coach Jerry Pettibone while Lewis coached the outside linebackers and special teams. Lewis was also at OSU for the 1996 season when Mendenhall was the coordinator.
“Osia brings a variety of experience to our coaching staff,” said Long. “He was an accomplished player and now he is an accomplished coach. Osia is very familiar with our scheme because of our years together at Oregon State. He is a great addition to the staff.”
“I’m certainly thrilled about the opportunity to work with Rocky (Long) again,” said Lewis. “I look forward to being the defensive coordinator of the Lobos and continuing the success they have enjoyed during the past few years. The folks at Illinois have been great for me and my family, but I’m excited about returning to the Southwest where I grew up.”
In his six years at Illinois, Lewis coached the defensive line (1997-2000) and linebackers (2001-02). The Fightin’ Illini won the 2001 Big 10 title (7-1) and finished No. 12 in the final Associated Press rankings. Illinois was 10-2 overall and played LSU in the Nokia Sugar Bowl.
Illinois middle linebacker Jerry Schumacher earned second team All-Big Ten honors in 2001 and ‘02, leading the team in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks both years. He finished second in the Big 10 in 2002 with 122 tackles, including 12 stops for loss.
In 2000, senior Fred Wakefield became the first Illinois defensive end to capture first team All-Big Ten honors since Simeon Rice and Kevin Hardy in 1995. Wakefield totaled nine sacks and 21 tackles for loss and his career marks rank in the top-three in the Illinois record book.
Lewis tutored Wakefield and senior defensive end Rameel Connor during the 1999 campaign. The duo combined to produced 12 sacks and 120 tackles, including 26 for a loss. In 1998, senior Jeff Weisse broke Simeon Rice’s single-game school record with six tackles for loss against Middle Tennessee State.
Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Lewis earned his bachelor’s degree in Social Science Education from Oregon State in 1986 and his master’s in Education from OSU in 1989.
Lewis was a four-year letterman and a decorated linebacker at Oregon State from 1982-85. A long jumper and standout quarterback and punter at Tucson (Ariz.) High School, Lewis played quarterback, safety, linebacker and wide receiver for the Beavers. As a senior in 1985, he was named OSU’s Most Inspirational Player, served as team captain and earned All-Pac-10 and honorable mention All-American honors by the Associated Press. Lewis still holds school records for single-season defensive points, season fumble recoveries (4), career fumble recoveries (8) and tackles for loss in a game (4).
Lewis had professional stints with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League and the Chicago Bruisers and New York Firebirds of the Arena Football League. He earned All-Arena League honors in 1988 and played in the 1988 Arena Bowl.
Lewis was a graduate assistant in the OSU athletics department from 1987-88 before moving to Western Oregon State as an assistant football coach in 1989-90. He joined the Oregon State staff under Pettibone in January of 1991.
Lewis and his wife, Darlene, have a son, Marvin, 8, and a daughter, Kiana (key-ON-uh), 6. Q