After winning double-digit games in 4 of 6 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Steve Mariucci was hired by the Detroit Lions prior to the 2003 campaign.
http://gty.im/1091589428
Unfortunately, Mariucci went just 15-28 over the next three seasons before getting fired following Week 12 of the 2005 campaign.
Since the Lions fired Mariucci, the Lions have had 5 different head coaches, including their current head coach, Matt Patricia.
Despite a 9-22-1 record in his first two seasons with the Lions, Patricia was told by Lions ownership late in the season that he would be back for the 2020 campaign.
In an interview with MLive, Mariucci said he is happy that Patricia is getting more time and he ripped Lions ownership (without calling out individuals) for their past practices of firing head coaches so quickly.
“Because somehow, some way, at some point in time before we all die, the Lions have to get that revolving door out of the front of their facility,” Mariucci told MLive. “They’ve got to look for continuity. Players, front office, coaching staff. It’s been changing so much over the years, right? And so just giving a guy one, two, three years is just, like, ‘All right guys, let’s change it again. Let’s try our luck with the next bunch.’
“When you do that, you take a couple steps backwards. Changing coordinators on both sides of the ball and you start over, and sometimes you take two step backwards to take one step forward. Sometimes, it’s five steps back. So I’m glad they kept Matt.”
Nation, do you agree with Mariucci that Patricia should get more time or do you think that a couple of seasons could be enough to know a coach is not going to work out?
–Quotes courtesy of Kyle Meinke, MLive– LINK