As first reported by Gaby Urrutia and Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, Miami is hiring former Hurricanes All-American defensive tackle and NFL first-round pick Damione Lewis as a defensive line coach. Lewis was a Seattle Seahawks assistant coach from 2020 through 2023 and spent the 2024 season as an assistant with Colorado.
Miami brings in Lewis to replace Joe Salave'a, who left to become the defensive line coach at his alma mater, Arizona. Lewis returns to South Florida, where he was the assistant athletic director of football player development at Florida International in 2019 before being hired by the Seahawks.
In one season with the Buffaloes, Lewis helped Colorado make significant strides on defense, including in the sacks and tackle for loss department. After totaling 27 sacks and 65 tackles for loss in 2023, Colorado totaled 34 sacks and 79 tackles for loss, both of which led the Big 12 last season.
Colorado improved from 96th nationally, averaging 5.42 tackles per loss per game in 2023, to 18th and 7.15 in 2024 with Lewis in his only season as the defensive line coach. The Buffaloes were 55th nationally, averaging 2.25 sacks per game in 2023 and 11th, posting 3.0 sacks per game, in 2024.
The Damione Lewis hire to coach UM DTs allows the Canes to go into the home of any high school DL and say, 'if you wants to play in NFL at tackle/end/edge, Damione and JT obviously know what it takes'.....Lewis made 65 NFL starts at DT
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) February 11, 2025
Lewis began his collegiate career at Miami as a redshirt in 1996. Between 1996 and 2000, Lewis was an anchor on the Miami defensive line. The St. Louis Rams drafted Lewis with the 16th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. St. Louis lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVII Lewis' rookie season, but he was out injured.
Lewis joins a nearly completely new Miami staff. Co-defensive line coach Jason Taylor is the only returning coach on the Miami defensive staff. Miami was 37th nationally, averaging 6.46 TFLs and 18th with 2.77 sacks per game in 2024. The Hurricanes have a deep group of DL returning in 2025, but not much experience behind the starters.