As the Lions season is coming to a close, the front office has been shaken up as the season progressed. New owner Shelia Ford decided that Head Coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn no longer deserved their spots in the Lions organization. As of now, former OC Darrell Bevell has taken over as the interim Head Coach while the Lions search for a new man to take over. Here are some candidates that the Lions may look into when the offseason begins.
1. Interim HC Darrell Bevell
This may not be a popular option for most Lions fans, but there is a chance Darrell could stay as the HC for the future.
Darrell Bevell has already proven that he wants to win, and is far more liked by the players and the fans. Within his first two games, he managed to beat the Chicago Bears, which Matt Patricia failed to do every time during his tenure with the Lions. Bevell gained lots of experience with the Lions while he was the offensive coordinator and also has a very good connection with Matthew Stafford, which Patricia failed to have. Bevell has also proven he understands what the fans and players want, and is open to changes.
2. Cheifs OC Eric Bieniemy
If the Lions want to go for a more player-friendly coach, Bieniemy is the guy. He originates from the highly trained, well respected Andy Reid coaching chain, and had a key role in helping MVP and Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes reach his highest potential. Because of this, Bieniemy could be a massive help to develop guys like D’Andre Swift and help Matthew Stafford improve more, that is if he is still on the team by next season. Bieniemy would absolutely help both sides of the ball gain more explosiveness and balance if he was to wear the Honolulu blue.
3. 49ers DC Robert Saleh
Michigan native Robert Saleh is probably the top target for the Lions this offseason for the new coach. After showing his talents with the super bowl squad of the 2019 49ers and the beat-up 2020 49ers defense, Saleh shows he can make something out of nothing with his top tier play-calling and intense work ethic. By bringing in Saleh, he would be able to clean up the absolute wreck of a mess Patricia made during his time with the Lions, while also showing current DC Cory Undlin the ropes of being one of the best DC’s in the league. This would help bring the young and raw defense to its highest potential.
4. Rams OC Kevin O’Connell
Former QB for the Detroit Lions, Kevin O’Connell is a young coach who has learned tons in his first year behind Rams HC Sean McVay. As a result, he has gained the potential to be the next Head Coach for the Lions. Of course, O’Connell isn’t the highest option of the list, but it would be nice to have someone who was a former player, knows the playbook somewhat well, and understand the minds of the players. This could really help the morale and chemistry of the team as a whole.
As we near the off-season, who knows what the Detroit Lions will do. All we can do is sit back and pray that they make the right choice for the future.
My name is Jasper Warner, I am a 17-year-old sports journalist from Petoskey, Michigan. I am currently in the progress of my senior year of high school and I am enrolling into Central Michigan University over the summer to Major in journalism and hope to continue my dream job of sports journalism in the real world.
