The day Detroit Lions fans have been waiting for has finally arrived. On Saturday afternoon, the team announced that Head Coach Matt Patricia and General Manager Bob Quinn have been fired.
The Detroit Lions announced today that Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia have been relieved of their duties. pic.twitter.com/Tz5Rc7y53Y
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 28, 2020
The “Quinn-Tricia” Era Is Over
In January 2016, Bob Quinn was brought in as the new GM of the Detroit Lions. After inheriting then-head coach Jim Caldwell, Quinn chose to move on after the 2017 season and bring in his former New England Patriots buddy Matt Patricia as head coach.
In the nearly three seasons since then, the Lions have been run like a circus. Questionable draft choices, head-scratching free agent signings, and incompetent coaching will go down as the defining characteristics of both men’s time in the Motor City. Detroit fans can rejoice now that the circus has packed up its tent and is heading out of town for good.
Credit to the new head of the organization Sheila Ford Hamp for telling these guys to get lost. It was abundantly clear this season that the franchise was getting nowhere fast with Patricia on the sideline. Quinn and Patricia were trying to bring the “Patriot Way” to Detroit. Instead, the experiment failed and the rocket scientist has left the building.
Where Do The Lions Go From Here?
The obvious choice as next head coach of the Detroit Lions is Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Just kidding. If Sheila Ford Hamp is really smart, she’ll know to turn down anyone with the words “New England” on their resumé.
Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, is likely to be the coaching candidate with the most suitors. Coming off a Super Bowl win and working with superstar QB Patrick Mahomes, it might be a tough sell for the Lions to convince Bieniemy to come to Motown. That’s because he’ll likely be at the top of the list for the New York Jets with a chance to coach Trevor Lawrence.
The most promising candidate is the 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. A native of Dearborn, MI, Saleh has been at the helm of a ferocious 49ers defense since 2017. Hiring a local guy makes sense and should please the fans. However, that could mean Saleh doesn’t want to have the weight of a consistently disappointed fanbase on his shoulders. Keep in mind, it didn’t turn out quite so well the last time the Lions hired a so-called “defensive genius”.
A new GM will most likely come first to have his choice for a new head coach. Speculating about potential new coaches is a bit more fun, so the GM search analysis can wait for later.
The Lions Did the Right Thing
On Friday, I wrote an open letter pleading with Lions ownership to move on from Patricia and Quinn. Now, it looks like ownership actually listened (and it was obviously my article that did the trick). The franchise was getting nowhere fast with these two guys in charge and it was clear the time to move on was here.
Kudos to Sheila Ford Hamp for getting it done and not holding out pointlessly until the end of the season. The Lions’ remaining schedule includes games against the Packers, Titans, and Bucs. Fans shouldn’t expect much from interim coach Darrell Bevell. Instead, hope for the increased likelihood of a high draft pick that hopefully the new GM won’t use on a tight end or defensive back.
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