[1] Lewis attended Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois, southwest of Chicago, where he played quarterback.
At Eastern Illinois, the Panthers made the FCS Playoffs both seasons he was there and reached the quarterfinals in 2013 with a 12-2 record with an offense led by Jimmy Garoppolo.
He was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Matt Johnson, who was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year and finished second nationally with 4,946 yards and 46 touchdowns.
In 2017, Syracuse averaged 456.3 yards and 24.4 first downs per game and defeated defending national champion Clemson 27-24 on Oct. 13.
[10] On November 29, 2023, San Diego State University hired Lewis as its new head coach, replacing a retiring Brady Hoke, following the 2023 season.