Marinelli Fired This Morning

[oregonpackfan]

AP Source: Lions fire Marinelli 1 day after becoming first team in NFL history to go 0-16
sports-nfl-20081229-20081229143500160000101

Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli stands on the sidelines during the fi...
BY LARRY LAGE, AP
1 hour ago
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ALLEN PARK, Mich.(AP) — A person familiar with the decision says the Detroit Lions have fired coach Rod Marinelli.

The firing comes on the morning after the Lions became the first team in NFL history to finish with an 0-16 record.

The person, who said the move was made Monday morning, spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because an announcement had not been made.

The Lions completed their winless season with a loss to Green Bay on Sunday, pushing aside Tampa Bay's 1976 season of 0-14 as the league's worst.

Marinelli won only one of his last 24 games and was 10-38 in three years after former team president Matt Millen gave the former Buccaneers assistant his first head coaching job.

Copyright 2008 STATS LLC

[swede]

I hear the Lions are going to try a three-headed approach to the head-coaching position:



Actually, it rather looks like Childress, Tice, and Wayne Fontes.

[Dabaddestbear]

I think he will be a good DC somewhere. I wouldnt mind the Bears getting him. He just isnt too good as a head coach.

[rbaloha1]

Shucks! Thought we had another Wayne Fontes.

[Patler]

I think he will be a good DC somewhere. I wouldnt mind the Bears getting him. He just isnt too good as a head coach.

I wonder how bad he really is as a head coach. He sure had nothing at all to work with in Detroit, but he seemed to keep them playing hard, at least. He had to go, though. Detroit needs to start fresh, new GM, HC of his choosing and a new staff picked by the new HC.

[ND72]

I think Marinelli would work well as the Packers Defensive Coordinator

[Joemailman]

Did they state a reason for why he was fired? Philosophical Differences?

[BallHawk]

"Do you wish your daughter had a father that was employed?"

[Fritz]

I think he will be a good DC somewhere. I wouldnt mind the Bears getting him. He just isnt too good as a head coach.

I wonder how bad he really is as a head coach. He sure had nothing at all to work with in Detroit, but he seemed to keep them playing hard, at least. He had to go, though. Detroit needs to start fresh, new GM, HC of his choosing and a new staff picked by the new HC.

Coupla things. First, in the past year Marinelli did have more say in personnel - he was primarily responsible for bringing guys like Brian Kelly in from Tampa. So his having a lack of talent reflects on him to some extent anyway. The Tampa pipeline was a washout.

Secondly, William Clay Ford has made the interim GM Martin Mayhew the permanent guy, and made the current President, Tom Lewand, the full time, official prez.

So all they'll do is try to find an assistant personnel guy and a new HC.

[mngolf19]

"Do you wish your daughter had a father that was employed?"

If the Vikes lose their DC this year, some are saying he is a top candidate for some open jobs, I wouldn't mind him taking over.

[Joemailman]

Two amazing stats on the Lions:

Including the last 8 games of the 2007 season, the Lions have lost 23 of their last 24 regular season games.

Before going 0-16 in the regular season, the Lions were 4-0 in the pre-season, outscoring their opponents 80-32.

[oregonpackfan]

Two amazing stats on the Lions:

Including the last 8 games of the 2007 season, the Lions have lost 23 of their last 24 regular season games.

Before going 0-16 in the regular season, the Lions were 4-0 in the pre-season, outscoring their opponents 80-32.

I particularly find it amazing how a team that goes 4-0 in preseason goes 0-16 during the regular season!

[Tony Oday]

I think this is a load of crap. He had an AFL talented team and they never gave up in one game. I watched most of them Via the NFL Ticket Redzone Channel. They may have lost all 16 but it wasnt coaching that did it. I think we need a tough arsed coach like this to whip our D line into shape!

I always ask myself when a coach gets fired, Who could have done better with the talent? Nobody. Hell they ran their starting QB out of town WTF!

[The Leaper]

The ONLY reason the Lions went 0-16 was Matt Millen. The talent level on that team is pathetic...there isn't a coach in the league that could have gotten more than 4 wins out of that roster.

The Lions were at least competitive to the end despite the talent gap...and the players and coaching staff deserves a tip of the cap for that. Compare that to the Browns...there's where you point all the blame at the coaching staff.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Honestly, I don't want the likes of Marinelli or Crennel. I'm not interested in Tampa's cover-2 defense. I want our corners to continue to press. We don't have the personnel for the 3-4 defense. If we are going to make a change, it's probably going to be something similar to Philly and the Giants--a 4-3 defense with lots of blitzing and press corners. Any young, positional coaches on the Giants or Eagles that look ready to make the jump to DC?