OT: Black Monday Open Thread
Black Monday is upon us; up to 7 coaches may be fired today.
ED: A semi-updated list of coaches who gone:
- Texans (Kubiak fired weeks ago)
- Browns (Chud fired yesterday)
- Redskins (Shanahan)
- Buccaneers (Schiano a bit of a surprise. But he's a tool)
- Vikings (Frazier was presumed gone for a while)
- Lions (Schwartz. I haz no shocks)
December 30th, 2013 at 9:10 AM ^
No surprise there.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:18 AM ^
the Lions still lose to the Vikings. Hmmmmm....
December 30th, 2013 at 11:48 AM ^
I'm really torn on this one - on the one hand they had a lot of close games and were very close to being a lot better (even in the playoffs), but on the other hand losing all of those games late probably says something about the coaches. He had to deal with Ponder, Cassel and Freeman at quarterback, but he got to have Adrian Peterson (who, by the way, spoke many times about how he wanted Frazier back). Probably a good call to fire him, depending on who they get.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:12 AM ^
December 30th, 2013 at 9:58 AM ^
I'm going out on a limb and predicting Schwartz will be the Lions head coach for one more season.
December 30th, 2013 at 10:08 AM ^
Sadly, I don't think you are going out on a limb with that.
I hope we are both wrong though.
December 30th, 2013 at 10:21 AM ^
I am one of the only ones who thinks he should be.
Blah blah blah "finishing" blah blah blah "discipline" blah blah blah
We were a few plays away from winning 5 more games this year. We had 4th quarter leads in 5 of our losses. That's "football gods" type stuff right there. Not really on the coaches IMO. Now if he lost the team and that is why we lost 6 of the last 7 then that's a different story, but I haven't heard that narrative.
December 30th, 2013 at 10:46 AM ^
and I think coaches are often fired as a punishment and instead people should look at will we get better by doing this, but I do see the points that his style matches a lot of problems with the Lions, I just don't think that's enough to justify that the Lions would be better with a different coach.
December 30th, 2013 at 11:16 AM ^
Words that I have been hearing since 1964.
December 30th, 2013 at 11:16 AM ^
Yeah, but 4 of those wins were by 8 points or less. Those games could have gone the other way as well.
It's always dangerous to use that exercise only from an optimistic standpoint. That's how you end up sticking with the wrong guy for too long.
I'm not sure if firing him is the right thing to do. I can see the case for keeping him, but cleaning out the offensive staff. That should be a minimum.
If I were the Fords, I'd have to think long and hard about that $12M. I don't care how much money you have, $12M is a lot of dough.
December 30th, 2013 at 1:21 PM ^
Agree. He is just the first guy in a while who has done anything positive for the Lions so it's hard for me to see him go..
I don't get the $12M point.
Either way, he gone.
December 30th, 2013 at 11:28 AM ^
I give him credit for taking an 0-16 squad back to respectability but I think there are a few glaring issues with this team, many of which can be placed on the coaches. Matthew Stafford should be more developed as a QB by now, the team takes way too many stupid penalties and gets beat by teams that are less talented. I expect Schwartz will get another shot at coaching but the Lions need a fresh voice.
December 30th, 2013 at 11:36 AM ^
Yep, he does deserve credit for that. Hopefully, Schwartz will be to the Lions what Chris Collins was to the Bulls.
Now the question is, who would be our Phil Jackson.
December 30th, 2013 at 11:43 AM ^
it won't matter as long as they have Mayhew as GM and use first and second-round picks on guys like Pettigrew, Best, Young, and Broyles.
December 30th, 2013 at 11:48 AM ^
December 30th, 2013 at 11:52 AM ^
I think since Ford Jr began to take a more active role the team has done a much better job of trying to be competitive. Let's not tarnish the son with the sins of the father.
December 30th, 2013 at 12:06 PM ^
December 30th, 2013 at 11:44 AM ^
December 30th, 2013 at 9:17 AM ^
was fired last night if I'm not mistaken.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:33 AM ^
I don't understand the Chudzinski firing at all. Why fire a coach after one season, especially when the only decent QB on the roster got knocked out for the season early on and they have no real RBs. All they really need is some QB depth and a good RB, and they are right in the mix in the AFC North. They have a lot pieces in place defensively, already. Stupid, stupid move!
December 30th, 2013 at 9:35 AM ^
The Browns and a fairly decent start to the season, IIRC. Even so, as you said...after one season, seems like they're chasing their tail rather than letting the coach do his job and try to change the team's culture.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:45 AM ^
I don't see how you trade Trent Richardson (their best player) for a bag of footballs and a draft pick, lose the best QB on the roster, never dispell rumors of trading best players (Josh Gordon specifically), spend zero money in free agency... Somehow this is the coaches fault, after one year of a four year deal??
December 30th, 2013 at 9:50 AM ^
Trent Richardson was not their best player by a long shot. That was a great for the Browns. However, on everything else, I agree. 11 months isn't enough time for a coach to turn around a franchise that is as devoid of talent (offensively) as the Browns.
December 30th, 2013 at 10:17 AM ^
the stuff I read (or heard from Schefter and Mort) was that the Browns higher-ups kept comparing to Chudzinski to Chip Kelly throughout the season and realized they didn't get what they wanted...still doesn't make sense
December 30th, 2013 at 10:23 AM ^
Didn't Cleveland get a new GM last offseason? I think this is merely a case of the GM wanting his own guy as head coach.
December 30th, 2013 at 10:29 AM ^
I believe they are also under new ownership, but not sure if that happened before or after Chudzinski was hired in the first place. Also, just saw a report that a leading candidate for Cleveland would be Josh McDaniels...he reminds me of Kiffin so much
December 30th, 2013 at 10:51 AM ^
Chudzinski was the new GMs hire...
December 30th, 2013 at 11:53 AM ^
As a Browns fan I am perpetually frustrated with the team, their management and the on field product.
This move is Modellian in its level of ridiculousness (given Chud was "their guy") eight months ago.
December 30th, 2013 at 10:45 AM ^
December 30th, 2013 at 12:00 PM ^
But only if the new guy actually wins and gets the team to the SB.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:18 AM ^
December 30th, 2013 at 9:36 AM ^
That'll teach him not to be late.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:41 AM ^
December 30th, 2013 at 9:49 AM ^
Gosh, I hope that isn't interpreted as being disrespectful!
(While Shanahan's behavior has been bush league at times (esp. to RGIII), it seems that Dan Snyder is the sort who will have to hire his own pallbearers. Snyder takes douche to a whole new level. So major points to Shanahan for showing up late - I hope he wears a tux and otherwise mimics the Stepbrothers job interview, complete with audible farting and subsequent discourse on the olfactory elements of the fart.)
December 30th, 2013 at 9:58 AM ^
Thanks for that...I'd forgotten about that scene. I took a sip of coffee just as the fart started and almost lost control. Oh geez, needed that laugh.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:19 AM ^
It's good to see the fans are already at Allen Park this morning showing their support.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:20 AM ^
December 30th, 2013 at 9:39 AM ^
situation even more closely than the Texans at this point.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:44 AM ^
If I were PSU, I wouldn't touch Schiano. Dude is a complete a**hole.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:27 AM ^
December 30th, 2013 at 9:27 AM ^
SI.com has a handy guide to the potential events of the day, if you will - (LINK).
With regards to Detroit, they suggest that anything that happens in Detroit might not end with coaches, although evidence suggests a patient approach with team management. Included in that section:
"You get a much more divided opinion when you ask around the league about Lions general manager Martin Mayhew. Many believe he'll survive any Black Monday purge, but others believe the Lions will blow up the whole operation and start over, after Schwartz missed the playoffs in four of his five seasons, with a 29-50 record heading into a Week 17 game at Minnesota. I think Mayhew remains in place, with Detroit always being known for its very patient ownership (see Millen, Matt)."
Other names on the potential block in their view, although the relative degree of probability with each name obviously varies substantially - Mike Munchak, Jason Garrett, Rex Ryan, Greg Schiano. It also mentions Tom Coughlin, who will likely be asked if he would like to go on rather than actively canned, as well as some potential (but perhaps not likely, at least not this year) GM openings.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:33 AM ^
a few years back leads me to think that Mayhew will have a shorter leash than Matt did with regards to the Fords. They fired Millen and realized that the sun did in fact come up the next day, so if they think the GM needs replacing, they'll do it. Of course I could be completely wrong.
But I can't wait to see the headline: "Ford replaces GM." HA!
December 30th, 2013 at 11:26 AM ^
I don't understand why they would get rid of the GM, it seems like he's made some pretty decent player moves. The Lions this year are the most stocked I've seen them in a long time. I'm not sure if their collapse is on the coaches but it sure seems to point in that direction. And honestly, I'm not one to call for the firing of a coach because I think that has been one of the Lions problems in the past few years (how many coaches did they go through in a ten year span?).
but I suspect that Schwartz will have one more year.
December 30th, 2013 at 10:26 AM ^
don't get why Mayhew gets so much of a pass. This year's draft class was good - but who did they enlist to help? Brian Xanders...architect of very good draft classes pretty much wherever he's been. That's NOT a credit to Mayhew whose previous draft classes have been mediocre to terrible.
Clean house - and promote Xanders to GM.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:29 AM ^
Can't wait to see Schwartz's name on this list!
December 30th, 2013 at 9:33 AM ^
Also no surprise, although I'd have loved to been in that conversation between Snyder and Shannahan.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:35 AM ^
Shanahan can come to Detroit. At least there won't be any discipline issues, and he won't be afraid to bench players that are underperforming, ala Stafford.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:36 AM ^
if this is the news that Billy Ford was waiting to hear?
December 30th, 2013 at 9:40 AM ^
Any OC candidates freeing up for a hypothetical open OC position at a B1G school with Maize and Blue colors?
It's not for me, I'm just asking for a friend.
December 30th, 2013 at 9:44 AM ^
per CBS Sports.