Matt Patricia went 13-29-1 in two-plus seasons as head coach and never beat the Bears or VikingsGETTY IMAGES
The Lions fired Exec VP & GM Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia on Saturday, moves which "could be the first step in a dramatic change" to the way the organization conducts football business, according to Dave Birkett of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. Lions Owner & Chair Sheila Ford Hamp on Saturday said that she has "not defined yet what attributes she wants in the Lions' next head coach and general manager, but she is open to every option when it comes to the structure of her team." Birkett noted the Lions, "historically, have empowered a general manager to make all football decisions, including the hiring and firing of head coaches." Hamp said that Lions President & CEO Rod Wood "will remain in his current role." Wood's primary responsibilities since joining the organization in '15 have been "on the business side," and the Lions' interim front office "will report to Wood." The Lions plan to use Turnkey Search Chair & CEO Len Perna and his company to "help conduct their search, though Hamp said they will be 'talking to a lot of people and using a lot of resources'" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/29). In Michigan, Benjamin Raven noted Wood has served in his role since replacing Tom Lewand in '15, and he has "worked for the Ford family as a financial advisor for quite some time, and it sounds like he’ll be heavily involved in the search for a new coach and general manager." It is "worth noting while Wood doesn’t come with the football background or pedigree, he’s received props for what he’s done with Ford Field and on the business side" (MLIVE.com, 11/28).
TOO MUCH LOSING: The FREE PRESS' Birkett in a separate piece wrote "lopsided losses" to the Panthers and Texans convinced Hamp "something had to be done" after 43 games of the Quinn/Patricia regime. Hamp said of the firings, "It was a hard decision just because, as I said, they’re both terrific people. They’ve worked very hard and tirelessly for this organization. It just, it clearly wasn’t working. It wasn’t what we had hoped for when we hired them." Patricia’s .314 winning percentage was "far below that of Jim Caldwell, the man he replaced." Caldwell won 54.5% of his games, "best among full-time Lions coaches in the expansion era" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/29). ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein wrote in his off-the-field dealings, Patricia made "marked improvements in his second and third years as head coach." He also "improved his relationships" and "became more accessible to the media." But the Lions "too often looked disorganized and unprepared." Hamp: "We’ve got a really talented team. ... We should have come together better than we have. I guess we just felt like the leadership wasn’t getting that job done" (ESPN.com, 11/28).
HAMP MAKING HER MARK: In Detroit, Jeff Seidel wrote the decision to move on from Quinn and Patricia "makes sense and was long overdue." Hamp is now "making it clear she will not tolerate losing and is true to her word to fans." In a video conference explaining the firings, Hamp "emerged as a true leader with a vision; someone who is decisive, capable of seeing the big picture, unafraid to shake things up." Seidel: "Now comes the hard part: Picking the right person to lead this organization" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/29). Also in Detroit, Bob Wojnowski: "The hiring step is the one the Lions historically screw up, and that’s where we’ll learn if new owner Sheila Ford Hamp truly is capable of carving a path that hasn’t changed in half a century." The dismissals are a "clue she’ll be more aggressive and demand more accountability." This was "a start, a mid-season purge desperately needed because there’s nothing left to salvage and no point in waiting" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/29). The FREE PRESS' Carlos Monarrez wrote there was "no reason or advantage to firing anyone before the end of the season -- other than placating fans and bowing to public pressure." But if this was "truly the decision Ford Hamp arrived at on her own, then it was good she made it swiftly and held a news conference immediately." She is "new in her role as principal owner, but she’s come off well since she’s taken a more active ownership role" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/29).
OVERDUE FIRINGS? In Detroit, Mitch Albom wrote the Quinn/Patricia era is, "mercifully, over." Quinn and Patricia were "going nowhere with this franchise," and "in truth, they were given a year longer than they likely deserved." Despite both being "intelligent men, they had no businesses being in their positions this long" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/29). Also in Detroit, Justin Rogers: "Any honest reflection will tell you Patricia's tenure couldn’t have gone much worse." The Lions are "once again a national laughingstock" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/29).
