Who is Damione Lewis? Meet Miami Hurricanes' new DL coach target from Colorado

The Miami Hurricanes have been reportedly hiring Colorado Buffaloes defense coordinator Damione Lewis. During his lone season, Lewis massively improved the Buffaloes' defense, going from 96th-ranked nationally in 2023 to the 18th-best defense in 2024.

But, now he is set to leave Deion Sanders' program for the south of Florida. But who is Damione Lewis?

Who is Damione Lewis?

Damione Lewis is 46 and played college football for the Miami Hurricanes between 1998 and 2000. He played as a defensive end and would record 220 tackles and 15.5 sacks from the 41 games he started for the Hurricanes. Lewis was then drafted as the 12th overall pick of the 2001 NFL draft by the St Louis Rams. He spent five seasons there, but injuries plagued the first three.

After his time in St. Louis ended, Lewis switched to the Carolina Panthers. He would be with the team for four seasons and made a strong contribution to their defensive line.

Lewis played one season with the Houston Texans before his playing career ended.

Damione Lewis as a coach and his family life

A few years after ending his playing career, Damione Lewis became the defensive line coach for the Seattle Seahawks and later the assistant defensive coordinator for the team. He was on the NFL team for four seasons before departing the Pacific Northwest for his first job as a defensive coordinator with Colorado, which he would be very successful with.

Lewis was initially signed to a two-year deal worth around $315,000 in his first year, increasing to $350,000 for year two. That second year is not happening for Lewis, as he has moved to his alma mater to help their defense. He is likely to be replaced at Colorado by Warren Sapp.

With the arrival of Lewis, the Hurricanes are getting someone with a proven track record in turning over struggling defense. Miami's defense cost them an ACC championship game appearance last season, so any improvement will benefit the program.

Away from football, Lewis does not talk about his family. However, from his social media profile, Lewis can be seen happily married. The couple have a daughter named Soraya and a son named Manny.