Vanderbilt's Derek Mason: Osia Lewis was able to keep me grounded

Osia Lewis was a man of God. A thoughtful peer. An inspiring confidant.

Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason saw those qualities well before Lewis' role as a senior defensive analyst with the Commodores.

Mason was a 17-year-old high school star from Phoenix when he first met Lewis, a Tucson native and senior linebacker at Oregon State. 

It's a relationship they kept close until Lewis died Sunday from liver cancer. He was 57.

Lewis had been serving as Vanderbilt's defensive analyst since being diagnosed in 2017. Before that, Lewis joined the Commodores as their outside linebackers coach. In addition to coaching at his alma mater (1991-96), Lewis also held posts at Illinois, New Mexico and San Diego State – among others – in various defensive position roles since 1989.

When Lewis stepped onto the Vanderbilt campus in 2016, Mason said, Lewis was the same type of coach as he was a mentor.

"He was really everything that I knew he was, from a mentor to a friend," Mason said Monday in a phone interview. "A great family man. An outstanding father. As coaches, we're always gone and just to see who he was as a father, a husband, a mentor, a man of God – all those things were very strong and apparent in him."

The relationship between Mason and Lewis that started in 1986 continued into coaching. After Mason's playing career ended at Northern Arizona, he joined the coaching staff at Mesa Community College near Phoenix in 1994.

By then, Lewis was in his fourth year as the linebackers coach at Oregon State. Through the years, Lewis was known to provide constant words of wisdom to help Mason in climbing the coaching ladder.

"He was very good at helping me navigate this profession, in terms of a good job or a bad job, just making sure that you're not chasing jobs," Mason said. "I remember he was always telling me, 'Never chase the money; only chase the responsibility.'"

Lewis' work ethic remained as consistent as his care for others. The one-time All-Pac 10 player and All-American honorable mention was said to have been in great shape before his death, walking up to three miles a day.

"He looked as good as he's ever looked," Mason said.

Lewis is survived by his wife, Darlene, and two children, Kiana and Marvin. Arrangements to celebrate Lewis' life have not been made. But when they are, Mason will always remember the God-fearing, inspiring confidant he met as a 17-year-old from Phoenix.

"It was very settling to see somebody who's actually from where you're from and being able to be himself and not anything besides that," Mason said. "Coach Lewis was able to keep me grounded."

For story ideas, contact Drake Hills at DHills@gannett.com. Follow Drake on Twitter at @LiveLifeDrake.