Lions fire Steve Mariucci

[Blimpie]

How Matt Millen has managed to keep HIS job will remain one of life's mysteries, I suppose....

After much deliberation, Lions fire Mariucci
Jay Glazer / FOXSports.com
Posted: 1 hour ago

Motown is moving on ... finally.

Sources have told FOXSports.com that after much speculation and deliberation, the Lions have fired head coach Steve Mariucci.
The same sources said they believe defensive coordinator Dick Jauron would be the team's interim head coach, but that has not yet been confirmed.

It was widely reported on Friday that Mariucci's days in Detroit were numbered, but he managed to last the weekend.

The last straw for Lions management apparently was Detroit's embarrassing 27-7 loss to Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day. Playing before a national television audience, the Falcons took a 27-0 lead into the fourth quarter and were able to sit starting quarterback Michael Vick.

This was supposed to be the season Mariucci got the Lions back on track. Quarterback Joey Harrington was entering his fourth season in the league and the team was loaded with talent at the skill positions.

But after sharing the NFC North lead at 3-3, the Lions have dropped four of their last five games to fall out of the postseason hunt for the sixth straight season.

In his two-plus years in Detroit, Mariucci had a 15-28 record — a far cry from the 60-43 mark he had during six seasons in San Francisco.

Mariucci has two more seasons left on a five-year, $25-million contract signed when he was hired in 2003.

[Red Leader]

I am amazed at the number of huge contracts that are paid off just to make that person go away. This is just another example.

[Blimpie]

I am amazed at the number of huge contracts that are paid off just to make that person go away. This is just another example.

If I am not mistaken, the 49ers paid him like $ 2 million to go away back in 2003? I believe he had a year left on that deal. Nice gig if you can get it.

[NJReds]

The got the wrong guy, or at least forgot about GM Matt Millen, who also deserves the boot. He used four top-10 picks on a QB and 3 receivers and only one of those players has panned out. The offensive line is awful, too.

[pedro]

I'm not surprised, but I'll be floored if Millen isn't the next to go. He has no idea what he is doing as far as I can tell.

[Caveat Emperor]

This is the guy Tampa Bay had a deal worked out to get back before the 2002 season -- he just didn't give the OK to the Niners because he wasn't sure about moving his family cross-country to Florida.

Instead, the Bucs hired Marvin Lewis, backed off on their offer to hire him (throwing Rich McKay under the bus in the process), then went and sold the draft-farm to Oakland for Jon Gruden.

Can't argue with the results in 2002, though...

I expect Mooch to have a soft landing somewhere in college or a broadast booth, and for some other NFL team to take a chance on him again in the near future. The Lions are a snakebitten organization -- have been for a while now -- and I don't think many people pin their problems on him.

[MWM]

I have the displeasure to watch the Lions almost every week and they are a horribly coached team. Word has it the inmates run the asylum. NO discipline, no intensity from Mooch. He looks to be in over his head in Detroit and he's probably better off this way. Look for him to resurface in the college game.

[Red Leader]

This is the guy Tampa Bay had a deal worked out to get back before the 2002 season -- he just didn't give the OK to the Niners because he wasn't sure about moving his family cross-country to Florida.

Instead, the Bucs hired Marvin Lewis, backed off on their offer to hire him (throwing Rich McKay under the bus in the process), then went and sold the draft-farm to Oakland for Jon Gruden.

Can't argue with the results in 2002, though...

I expect Mooch to have a soft landing somewhere in college or a broadast booth, and for some other NFL team to take a chance on him again in the near future. The Lions are a snakebitten organization -- have been for a while now -- and I don't think many people pin their problems on him.

I had been a lifelong Bucs fan as well, all the way back to 1976, and that coaching carousel was when it started going downhill for me.. From Mariucci, to Parcells, to Marvin Lewis, to Gruden. That whole throw John McKay under the bus thing really sealed it for me. I am now a Bengals and a Seahawks fan.

[Caveat Emperor]

I had been a lifelong Bucs fan as well, all the way back to 1976, and that coaching carousel was when it started going downhill for me.. From Mariucci, to Parcells, to Marvin Lewis, to Gruden. That whole throw John McKay under the bus thing really sealed it for me. I am now a Bengals and a Seahawks fan.

It was hard to be a fan then -- I was vehemently against hiring Marvin Lewis, lost no opportuntiy to vent my displeasure on several of the older Tampa Trib message boards. In my mind, there was no reason to fire Tony Dungy to begin with -- for me, he had earned eternal goodwill as the man who saved the Bucs from being the "W" on everyones schedule in the preseason. He drafted good players, his teams won games and played hard, and all he needed was the right offensive coordinator to compliment his defense. Especially didn't make any sense to fire him and replace him with an unproven Lewis -- if they wanted a defensive guy, just keep Dungy.

Winning the Super Bowl was great, but it just felt bought and paid for -- bringing in Gruden, Brad Johnson, Keyshawn Johnson, and Michael Pittman as hired guns to the do job. I imagine it must've been the same way (kinda) for Arizona Cardinals fans -- bringing in two pieces guaranteed to win you a title, then selling them all off immediately afterwards. Losing Rich McKay was bad...and then the steady stream of Raider cast-offs was worse (Tim Brown, Charlie Garner, etc.).

Nowadays, though, following the Bucs has become a real joy again as opposed to a weekly exercise in disgust. I really like the young kids they're playing: I think Chris Simms, Michael Clayton and Cadillac Williams have a chance to be special for a long time to come. The defense is still fun to watch, and they've managed to retain Monte Kiffin through all of this (amazingly -- I thought for sure someone would try to make him a head coach by now), who just keeps filling holes as palyers leave or move.

Didn't mean to hijack the thread, but there's always room on the ol' pirate ship if you ever feel like hopping back aboard...

[Sabo Fan]

The got the wrong guy, or at least forgot about GM Matt Millen, who also deserves the boot. He used four top-10 picks on a QB and 3 receivers and only one of those players has panned out. The offensive line is awful, too.

From a pure talent perspective, I don't think Millen's drafts have been bad at all. He did whiff on Harrington and it looks like Rogers is a bust, but at the same time he's taken a lot of guys who I think were good value picks, like Teddy Lehman, Boss Bailey, Cory Redding, Kalimba Edwards, Shaun Cody and Terrance Holt. I think Roy Williams will be a stud, the same for Kevin Jones. Was Shaun Rodgers a Millen pick? If so that was another good one. Looking at their roster there is no way they should be as bad as they are. Millen has made some mistakes, but overall I think he's improved the talent-level of that team and I think most of the blame has to lie with the coaches. Part of it is that there are some questionable attitudes on that team, but good coaches are able to overcome that.

Furthermore, I don't think Millen is going anywhere in the near future, seeing as how he signed that five-year extension prior to the season.

[Red Leader]

I said John McKay on accident in the above post, I meant Rich McKay. Also I forgot to include Steve Spurrier in the coaching carousel, along with about 4 others, I'm sure.

Caveat Emperor: I have tried to get back on board the pirate ship the last two years, it just doesn't feel the same. It's like breaking up with a long time girlfriend. Sure, you can go back every now and then and rekindle things for a weekend or two, but in the end is it really worth it, knowing that all those problems that drove you away in the past are still there?

I don't have a favorite team anymore, but I enjoy watching the Bengals and the Seahawks. I'm not sure I'll ever have a favorite team again, but some good did come out of all of this: I do know I'll always hate the Eagles.

[Sabo Fan]

Think the Lions situation can't get worse? It just did:

From Rotoworld:
Speaking with emotion on the NFL Network, Lions Pro Bowl cornerback Dry Bly said most of Detroit's problems stem from one person - the team's quarterback.
"They should have fired guys on this team a long time ago... I feel like there is one guy in particular who I felt like is the cause of this whole thing. That's just how it is," Pressed further on who that one person is, Bly said, "It's not hard to figure out. The quarterback here has been bad. He hasn't gotten the job done since I got here. Y'all just see Sundays, but I've been a part of this every day for three years... practices. You see how the guys practice and the practices have been bad... I really don't believe coach would have gotten fired if Jeff (Garcia) didn't get hurt."

[Blimpie]

Think the Lions situation can't get worse? It just did:

From Rotoworld:
Speaking with emotion on the NFL Network, Lions Pro Bowl cornerback Dry Bly said most of Detroit's problems stem from one person - the team's quarterback.
"They should have fired guys on this team a long time ago... I feel like there is one guy in particular who I felt like is the cause of this whole thing. That's just how it is," Pressed further on who that one person is, Bly said, "It's not hard to figure out. The quarterback here has been bad. He hasn't gotten the job done since I got here. Y'all just see Sundays, but I've been a part of this every day for three years... practices. You see how the guys practice and the practices have been bad... I really don't believe coach would have gotten fired if Jeff (Garcia) didn't get hurt."

Personally, I think Rotoworld should have spoken to Dre Bly in their interview. I dunno who this "Dry Bly" guy is...be he sure sounds like a mean drunk.

[traderumor]

The Lions' problem are the Bengals' gain, seeing that Detroit is a late season game on the road for a team in the playoff hunt.

[Unassisted]

So which college program does he end up with? Just down the road, Lloyd Carr's star has never been lower.