ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 9, 1995 TAG: 9512110057
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: ON THE AIR
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
Bill Lewis will spend three hours this afternoon analyzing the 23rd Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
One way to do that is to consider that it's Lewis' first bowl since he coached East Carolina to its magical 11-1 season in 1991 and the Pirates' thrilling Peach Bowl triumph over N.C. State.
Another is that Lewis, who will call today's NCAA Division III national championship telecast at Salem Stadium (1 p.m., ESPN2 cable), has been able to return to a sport he loves through the tube.
A year ago, Lewis was out of work after 32 years in coaching, fired at Georgia Tech after a 1-10 season that followed two 5-6 years. He thought he had a shot at an ESPN role in 1996.
Then, when the network expanded its college football to ``The Deuce,'' an analyst was needed. Lewis went to work immediately, and his first game was a memorable one, although no one realized it at the time.
``It was Northwestern against Miami of Ohio, the only game Northwestern lost this season,'' Lewis said Friday. ``Who knew they'd be 10-1?''
Lewis works today with play-by-play man Mike Adamle, a former All-Big Ten running back for the Wildcats. The battle between Wisconsin-La Crosse and Rowan also is a return to small-college football for Lewis, who was a Little All-America quarterback at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) in the early '60s.
``The [TV] work has exceeded my expectations,'' said Lewis, 54. ``It's kept me involved with a game I dearly love, and kept me in touch with players and coaches.
``I've enjoyed the preparation in particular. I've kind of patterned the way I did in coaching with a game plan, starting on a Sunday night for the game the next Saturday, and doing more each night of the week.
``Without this, I might have had a very difficult time. Coaching was the only thing I'd ever done. I started right out [at East Stroudsburg] when I finished playing. Working for ESPN has made this year a lot of fun.''
Lewis hasn't given up on his life's profession. ``I'd coach again, if the right situation came up,'' he said. ``But after doing this, I also know I can walk away from coaching and do something I enjoy.
``I've learned so much, and the people at ESPN have been wonderful to me. You go into this, and you know football. I've been part of the game my whole life. But you don't know television. And believe me, it's an unbelievable learning experience.''
Lewis began his new job by spending hours with ESPN analyst Mike Gottfried, who has made the switch from the Division I-A sideline to prime time on ESPN.
``I've patterned my preparation after Mike's,'' Lewis said. ``I've watched him a lot, and I admire the way he handles things, and the way he's promoted the game of college football is the way I think it should be promoted. I'm comfortable with that.''
Lewis also found another job in Atlanta. On March 1, he was named athletic director at the Marist School, a Catholic high school with 16 sports and a 62-person coaching staff. When Marist played a home football game on a Friday night, Lewis didn't work an ESPN game the next day.
He said he's not involved in any of the few coaching jobs currently available, and has no hint on who might fill the vacancy at Georgia, where he was the secondary coach from 1980-88 for Vince Dooley.
``Vince is a one-man selection committee,'' Lewis said. ``You don't hear much, but I get a sense that perhaps someone coaching in one of the bowls might get the job, because Vince seems to feel comfortable waiting until the first of the year to name the man.
``He's losing a month of recruiting time, so he must feel that he's sure he can get the guy he wants by waiting.''
For now, a new job is enough pressure for Lewis.
``I'm as nervous as can be before we go on the air, just like before a game,'' he said. ``I'm most nervous when we're doing our rehearsal for the start of the game. Then, once we get that behind us, it's sort of like after kickoff. You relax and go with the story line. And if the story line is good, like a game plan, you stay with it.''
THE ENVELOPE: ESPN airs the Heisman Trophy presentation live tonight at 7:30 from the Downtown Athletic Club. The one-hour special for an announcement that takes a New York minute is hosted by Chris Fowler, Craig James, Lee Corso and Beano Cook, who says, ``The three greatest things an American can achieve are to become President of the United States, win the Heisman and be the murderer on Columbo, and not necessarily in that order.''
AROUND THE DIAL: ABC is sending its No.3 college football team to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl game between Virginia Tech and Texas. Mark Jones and Todd Blackledge will call the Dec.31 bowl. The top team of Keith Jackson and Bob Griese will work the Northwestern-Southern Cal game in the Rose Bowl, with Brent Musburger and Dick Vermeil at the Florida Citrus Bowl for Tennessee-Ohio State. ... NBC's Marv Albert won his fifth straight CableACE honor last weekend for his Knicks' play-by-play work on Madison Square Garden Network. Said Marvelous: ``There were a lot of talented people nominated, but what probably put me over the top was my recently discovered duet with John Lennon.'' ... Home Box Office will air what could be a very good documentary on Tuesday at 9:45 p.m. The one-hour show is titled, ``Rebels With a Cause: The Story of the American Football League.'' Former coach and Emmy-winning analyst John Madden was a creative consultant. ... Viewers who don't subscribe to ESPN2 can watch today's Stagg Bowl telecast when ESPN airs a taped version of the game Monday at 1 p.m.
LENGTH: Medium: 96 linesby CNB