A hectic morning was underway for FAU fans and students, as various reports about NFL Hall-of-fame linebacker Ray Lewis had emerged with him being a potential candidate for the head coaching job for FAU football.

However, after several conflicting reports from various sports outlets and insiders, the rumors about Lewis were squashed by a source close to FAU football; the source stated that it’s too early for a head coaching decision to be revealed.

After firing former head coach Tom Herman on Monday and two assistant coaches last week, FAU football has had a tough couple of weeks navigating the rest of their season without two key components of their staff; while interim roles have been filled for each position, the Owls are still hungry for new staff and opportunities to surface in the future.

Nov. 20 at 9:24 a.m.: ESPN NFL senior insider Adam Schefter broke headlines with the sudden announcement on Twitter (X). However, there have been follow up reports stating that there has been no direct communication between FAU and Lewis.

Nov. 20 at 9:50 a.m.: A tweet via CBS Sports and 247Sports reporter Matt Zenitz states, “It is highly unlikely that FAU ends up hiring [Lewis] as head coach.” 

Nov. 20 at 11:49 a.m.: An unnamed source close to the FAU football program confirmed to the University Press that the rumors are not true. 

Nov. 18: Bruce Feldman with The Athletic speculates more potential head-coaching candidates besides Lewis, but there are no tangible reports of there being any contact with these coaches mentioned. Georgia assistant head coach Todd Hartley and Penn State assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator Ja’Juan Seider are two potential big names on Feldman’s list.

Rashaan Lewis, Ray Lewis’ son, was also a previous member of FAU’s roster back in 2019; the wide receiver was a UCF transfer who now plays at the University of Kentucky. 

Even though Lewis has built up a name for himself as a player, his only experience was coaching the 2024 NFL Pro-Bowl. 

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is released. 

JD Delcastillo contributed to this report. 

Angelina Martell is a staff sportswriter with the University Press. Email her at amartell2023@fau.edu or reach out on Instagram @angieemartell for information regarding this or other stories.