Before becoming the Cincinnati Bengals’ head coach Marvin Lewis made a name for himself as one of the best defensive minds in the NFL.

Yet during his first five years in Cincinnati the team’s defense has struggled, finishing in the bottom half of the league in both points and yards allowed each season. In need of some help before starting his sixth season at the helm in 2008, Lewis turned to an old friend that he helped once before, Mike Zimmer.

Zimmer became the third defensive coordinator to serve under Lewis after the team fired predecessor Chuck Bresenhan following the 2007 campaign. Zimmer, who had spent the previous season in the same capacity with the Atlanta Falcons, made his mark serving as the defensive coordinator in Dallas for seven years.

Lewis and Zimmer have deep roots together. The two first met in Los Angeles during the 1980s. Zimmer was recruiting for Weber State and Lewis for Idaho State. Zimmer turned to Lewis after a tumultuous first season as Dallas’ defensive coordinator for help. After Zimmer spent a weekend with the then-Ravens’ defensive coordinator in Baltimore, the Cowboys’ defense turned the corner.

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