Sean Lewis, the former head coach of Kent State who left to join the Colorado Buffaloes as their offensive coordinator, is leaving the program after just one season to become the new head coach of the San Diego State Aztecs.
Introducing the 19th Head Coach in San Diego State football history.
Welcome to The Mesa, Sean Lewis!
?: https://t.co/p2YvR0Bnnn pic.twitter.com/zOtISEe0aB
— San Diego State Football (@AztecFB) November 29, 2023
"San Diego State University, my family and I can't express how excited we are to be joining this incredible community," Lewis said in a statement. "We are looking forward to partnering with all of you in serving and leading our amazing football program. This time is now to support and make Snapdragon Stadium the place to be for Fast, Physical, Fun Aztec Football."
During his tenure as the coach for Kent State, Lewis went 24-31 and was 1-1 in bowl games. He coached there for five seasons before departing for Colorado.
With Colorado, Lewis' offense helped propel them to score at least 36 points in their first five games. However, Lewis' role was eventually reduced. Head coach Deion Sanders promoted Pat Shurmur, a former NFL offensive coordinator and head coach, to call the plays.
Lewis takes over for Brady Hoke, who retired after the Aztecs went 4-8 this season. Hoke announced his retirement after the team fell to 3-7 with a Week 11 loss to Colorado State.
The Aztecs have made a bowl game in 12 of the past 14 years.
Lewis, 37, is known for his offensive prowess. He was a coordinator with Syracuse, Bowling Green, and Eastern Illinois before landing as the head coach of Kent State.
"[Lewis] is a coach with immense talent and I'm looking forward to the excitement that his teams are going to generate at Snapdragon Stadium," athletic director J.D. Wicker said in a statement. "His approach emphasizing academic and life skills opportunities are equally important and will complement the student-athlete experience."
The Aztecs ranked 111th in the nation in scoring, so a coach with an offensive background was the focus.
"Sean has shown that he can develop student athletes both on-and-off the field. On the field, he has a proven track record as a dynamic offensive playcaller, and I look forward to seeing what he will do for our program in terms of recruitment," San Diego State president Adela de la Torre said in a statement. "He will surely energize our fan base — a fan base made up of our students and their families, our faculty and staff, our donors, and nearly 500,000 living alumni."
