Though ridiculed early, Sean Lewis’ Aztecs are strong enough to withstand the truth

It’s been quite the year and a half for Sean Lewis. A disappointing season as offensive coordinator under a football legend Deion Sanders, saw the coach relieved of his play calling duties. He eventually would part ways at the University of Colorado, under let’s say ‘peculiar’ circumstances.

Though the situation gained some national attention, Lewis never allowed it to become a bigger story than his goals in the game of football. Even in the last few weeks of this year as a guest on the John Canzano podcast, when asked about his time and experiences there, Lewis is still very mindful not to feed into it.

So when the hire as the new head coach of SDSU came about last year, it’s no wonder it brought with it an element of surprise to Aztec Nation and even himself. In my personal limited time meeting Coach Lewis at a very early meet & greet for SDSU season ticket holders, he expressed this sentiment as so much.

You could tell right away there was a light in his eyes when talking about the city of San Diego, the history of the Aztecs program, and the enormity of the opportunity that was before him. Even after such a tenuous situation in Colorado, he was back in the game as the main leader of an FBS program again.

To the fans Lewis’ hire was met with excitement, curiosity, and to some a bit underwhelming. His time at Kent State when looking at the raw numbers, a 24-31 overall record and 19-17 record in Mid-American Conference play, doesn’t create much buzz. Especially to a Southern California program coming off a decade of continuous bowl appearances.

Entering his first season on the Mesa, the AztecFast brand of football he brought along was billed as a high-tempo, electrifying style, reminiscent to the days of Air Coryell. Had you been paying attention to us here at Sons of Montezuma, you would know that is not exactly what a Sean Lewis’ offense does at all.

A solid start at 3-3 last season suddenly crumbled under the weight of 6 straight losses to end the year. When it was all said & done and the season concluded, Lewis’ second original assistant hire left for another opportunity and key players headed for the portal. Those student-athletes that remained were not happy and season ticket holders were decimated greatly in a brand new stadium facility.

It was time to admit the truth. It was time to get real.

Now some of you are seasoned enough to remember the darkest days of Aztecs football. In a long history with over 100 years of playing on the gridiron in this beautiful city, bad stretches of apathy are bound to happen. For me it was the Chuck Long era. Last season was without a doubt up for consideration to match that.

But something happened. It wasn’t visible to the general public or even the diehard supporters like you and I. But rarely do these kinds of things go noticed to anyone outside the offices of the Fowler Center.

I got to ask my wife every now and again like ‘hey, how am I doing as a husband and as a father?‘ said Coach Lewis in this week’s address to the media before the Aztecs travel to Reno. And I have to be able to accept the truth that she tells me because she always wants what’s best for our family and for our relationship.

I mean, so when we talk about accountability, we talk about ownership. When we talk about Aztec fast; focused, accountable, smart, and tough, if you ask guys in our building, you ask anyone in the program, accountability to us is ownership.

If Coach Lewis truly wanted what’s best for his Aztec family he had to change something. He had to reinforce just what AztecFast truly means and it started with himself.

I think from the time that we’ve been back again, guys owning that were here a year ago, most notably myself, the way that we finished and the way that we handled everything last year, especially the back half of the season, like that ain’t it. That ain’t even close, right? And again, like to look in the mirror and realize, what are we going to do about it? And make changes.

Gone was the Spring Game Aztecs fans were used to. Gone were the automatic jersey numbers players were used to. None of it made much sense to those outside of the offices. But still there was a method to the madness still.

So then when the guys came back on January 20th and we started the climb and everyone got a white shirt and everyone got a pair of black shorts, guys very easily could have said, ‘what are we doing? What is this high school stuff?’

Instead, they’re like ‘no, that’s real’ and again, because of the relationship that we’ve established and the relationship that we have with the recruits that we’ve brought in, the time that we spent and the labor of love, that what this is to invest in the connections that we have.

Digging deep and being introspective about your purpose, passion and performance are ideas you can hear echoed from the head coach to the players who removed themselves from the transfer portal and returned back to the program despite the mess that was there a year ago.

Am I doing what I’m being asked to do, to the best of my ability? Am I owning the role and tending to the garden that I’ve been given, no matter how big or how small that is …

These are big questions to ask of anyone in a team—sports, business, family or otherwise. Following a leader through good and bad times is not the easiest thing to do. But somehow to this point, Lewis and staff have achieved something very few in Aztec Nation believed he was able to—keep this team together. Revive this fanbases belief in the program.

So we’ve created that environment. We’ve created a culture that everyone is accountable for. They understand how dynamic it is and they show up each and every single day and just try and leave it a little bit better than the way that they found it. 

SDSU’s 4-1 start to this 2025 season is the best five game start since the 2021 season, a year that very few in San Diego witnessed because it was played up in Carson, California.

The Aztecs defense which ranks #1 in the Mountain West, has shut out two teams at home and kept NIU to just 3 in the team’s only win on the road. They posses an increased pass rush featuring all conference performer Trey White, a lock down cornerback in Chris Johnson and a multitude of defensive backs making the defense difficult to pass on.

The offense is a work in progress with new QB Jayden Denegal leading the charge along with standout RB Lucky Sutton and the dynamic all around player WR Jordan Napier. Their 45-24 dispatching of Colorado State was another terrific showcasing of the potential they possess that is different from last year. Mainly that they are exciting.

Despite eclipsing last years win total before even reaching the halfway mark of this year, there hasn’t been a lack of frustration from the fans. A botched road loss vs Washington State still lingers on the minds of the Aztecs faithful. The standards are very high and Lewis knows it.

The hot start for the Aztecs is exactly just that—a hot start. Seven conference games lay ahead for Lewis and his Aztecs to completely turn around this program from where they stood a year ago. The best of the conference are coming up—namely Fresno State and Boise State. It won’t be easy. But then again, nothing to this point has been.

Like we can be very honest. The bonds in the relationship in our building are strong enough to withstand the truth—which in today’s society or in most relationships we use that term very very loosely.

For some Aztecs fans they’ve seen enough and nothing short of a championship in the school’s final year in the Mountain West will satisfy their displeasure with the direction the program is headed. That is the standard to which many Aztecs fans feel entitled to. That is a reality Lewis & staff are aware of.

In the next two months we will all witness for ourselves the strength of those bonds.