How does a University of Wisconsin grad from Illinois, who spent a huge chunk of his coaching life in Ohio, end up looking like the next big thing coach at a place like San Diego State?
And how does he do it by going against what made him a hot name in the first place?
Lewis didn't do much as a tight end for the Badgers, but he quickly grew into a rising star coach with an offensive style that went fast, fast, fast.
At just 31, he took over a woeful Kent State program and turned it into a winner with a bowl victory in 2019. His offense went 1000 miles per hour, made everyone adjust, and it was what Deion Sanders wanted at Colorado.
Lewis was in Boulder for just one season, left to become the head coach at San Diego State, and the results weren't great in a 3-9 season. Last year, though, his offense was okay, but the defense was one of the best in the nation.
Now, at 40, he's one more great season away from getting a long look from the big programs. Here's our interview with the Aztec head coach going into the 2026 season.
– 2026 San Diego State Preview
CFN: How outside of the box is San Diego State football-wise compared to Wisconsin, Kent State, and everywhere else you've been?
Sean Lewis: It was certainly different.
Yeah, I mean, it's funny. The first year, you think it's going to be wildly different and probably try to be more West Coast than Midwest in some ways, and then you realize that, no, we all do the same thing. Like, these guys just need discipline, some structure, and be good to go.
You, the FlashFast-turned-AztecFast offensive coach – where did that defense come from last year? (The Aztecs finished sixth in the nation in scoring defense and 11th in total defense, but those numbers are a bit skewed with almost all of its stars gone before the wild bowl loss to North Texas.)
It's San Diego, you think, groovy and surfers, but Rocky Long had some amazing defenses in his era. And there's what (Brian) Dutcher does with the hoops side – they're at a whole other level. This is a hard-nosed place. I think that's what we are; it's something we learned, and it's kind of this double-edged sword.
You can recruit anywhere because of how amazing this place is. But you better make sure the person you're bringing in is wired the right way so that they're not distracted by the temptations. And so having a hard-nosed, focused individual is really important to us.
Having great discipline, being a physical team, and doing hard things in the offseason the way that we do does have a balance. This past Friday we went to the beach – we always do the things San Diego has to offer to balance out the hard stuff, but I think how we go about it to do things in a way that's uniquely special.
And then the individuals that we get to rub shoulders with are also very unique. So, yeah, it's a special place.
At the time, it was easy to see exactly why you were the hire. New stadium, new developments, new plan to make this San Diego's
And how does he do it by going against what made him a hot name in the first place?
Lewis didn't do much as a tight end for the Badgers, but he quickly grew into a rising star coach with an offensive style that went fast, fast, fast.
At just 31, he took over a woeful Kent State program and turned it into a winner with a bowl victory in 2019. His offense went 1000 miles per hour, made everyone adjust, and it was what Deion Sanders wanted at Colorado.
Lewis was in Boulder for just one season, left to become the head coach at San Diego State, and the results weren't great in a 3-9 season. Last year, though, his offense was okay, but the defense was one of the best in the nation.
Now, at 40, he's one more great season away from getting a long look from the big programs. Here's our interview with the Aztec head coach going into the 2026 season.
– 2026 San Diego State Preview
CFN: How outside of the box is San Diego State football-wise compared to Wisconsin, Kent State, and everywhere else you've been?
Sean Lewis: It was certainly different.
Yeah, I mean, it's funny. The first year, you think it's going to be wildly different and probably try to be more West Coast than Midwest in some ways, and then you realize that, no, we all do the same thing. Like, these guys just need discipline, some structure, and be good to go.
You, the FlashFast-turned-AztecFast offensive coach – where did that defense come from last year? (The Aztecs finished sixth in the nation in scoring defense and 11th in total defense, but those numbers are a bit skewed with almost all of its stars gone before the wild bowl loss to North Texas.)
It's San Diego, you think, groovy and surfers, but Rocky Long had some amazing defenses in his era. And there's what (Brian) Dutcher does with the hoops side – they're at a whole other level. This is a hard-nosed place. I think that's what we are; it's something we learned, and it's kind of this double-edged sword.
You can recruit anywhere because of how amazing this place is. But you better make sure the person you're bringing in is wired the right way so that they're not distracted by the temptations. And so having a hard-nosed, focused individual is really important to us.
Having great discipline, being a physical team, and doing hard things in the offseason the way that we do does have a balance. This past Friday we went to the beach – we always do the things San Diego has to offer to balance out the hard stuff, but I think how we go about it to do things in a way that's uniquely special.
And then the individuals that we get to rub shoulders with are also very unique. So, yeah, it's a special place.
At the time, it was easy to see exactly why you were the hire. New stadium, new developments, new plan to make this San Diego's
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