OT- Adam Schefter has a couple of Detriot Lions/Bill O'Brien news items today
Adam tweeted this earlier today:
"Bill O'Brien's amended contract shows he reduced the price of an NFL buyout from $19.33 million last year to $6.48 million for this year."
Embedded in an article about Bill O'Brien leaving for the NFL, found here: http://nfl.si.com/2013/12/22/penn-state-bill-obrien-amended-buyout-nfl/
And the Freep mentioned Adam's comments:
"ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Lions are “beginning to mull candidates who could replace” Schwartz if they go down that road. One candidate Schefter mentioned was Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien..."
in an article posted a couple of hours ago, found here: http://www.freep.com/article/20131222/SPORTS01/312220087/lions-jim-schwartz-bill-obrien
The cost to fire Schwartz is $12 million. That plus the PSU buyout is a lot of money just to get O'Brien, before any salary. Is he worth it?
I would think the Lions would be better off, but they are the Lions (sigh). If / when O'Brien leaves, does PSU take a step back in their progress as the sanctions kick in?
December 22nd, 2013 at 2:40 PM ^
Ideally he would coach both. I want both Lions teams to be good
December 22nd, 2013 at 2:42 PM ^
I want BoB. But the Fords are too cheap.
December 22nd, 2013 at 3:00 PM ^
Cheap is not the issue.
December 22nd, 2013 at 3:34 PM ^
Only eight coaches are known to make $6 million a year, six of those coaches have coached in a Super Bowl, while the other two (Kelly, Carroll) were successfull/ already well paid college coaches.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:04 PM ^
Not to mention that Carroll got real close last year and the Seahawks are Super Bowl favorites for the NFC this year.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:34 PM ^
The Fords hung a banner for making the playoffs in 2011. Literally. So not only are they dumb, they are very easily impressed. That explains Schwartz's high salary more than anything.
December 22nd, 2013 at 11:58 PM ^
They were too cheap to buy him out last year. When the front office wanted to.
December 22nd, 2013 at 2:44 PM ^
Ideally I'd like BOB at PSU since our conference needs good coaches. It would be hard to answer whether or not PSU would take a step back though if I were them I wouldn't want to go through a transition in this weakened state. Then again right now may be the perfect time to go through a program transformation as whoever the coach is has a perfect built-in excuse of the sanctions screwing over the team's chances.
December 22nd, 2013 at 2:48 PM ^
It's bad enough that we have to contend with Meyer and Dantonio. I'm rooting for BoB to take the first NFL job he's offered.
December 22nd, 2013 at 2:54 PM ^
I'd rather have the Big Ten be full of good teams and good coaches. Competition brings out the best in you. Outside of three...maybe four coaches, the conference is really weak in that regard.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:20 PM ^
If O'Brien leaves Penn State, I think Mike Munchak will be their guy. Alum, NFL HC, Hall of Fame player. But, no I don't think O'Brien is worth that much.
December 23rd, 2013 at 12:37 AM ^
During these down years, I'll never understand you purported UM fans who actually root for our rivals to be good and have great coaches. That only makes sense if we are regularly drubbing them, but when we've lost 4 in a row to PSU, 9 of 10 to Ohio and 5 of 6 to MSU, I don't know what fathomable source of ignorance or arrogance you draw your convictions from to actually root for these other teams to continue to be good and have great coaches as though that will somehow benefit Michigan. The sky must be pink and purple poke-a-dots in your world. Big 2, Little 8 remember that? Suited us just fine back in the day.
December 23rd, 2013 at 7:41 AM ^
100% correct
December 23rd, 2013 at 8:12 AM ^
...and back in the day only 1 B1G team could go to a Bowl so whats your point? In todays 24/7 news cycle your conference doesnt need to be good, it only needs to be perceived as much. The SEC has been crazy top heavy, yet whenever the talking heads get together they believe a 2-10 Kentucky team can easily beat any not-SEC opponent (yes, I know that is being too outlandish but it's close).
The B1G needs 3-4 good coaches/teams and cannot survive with just OSU being the top dog.
December 23rd, 2013 at 7:01 PM ^
...and here's the SEC vs. the B1G at Massey the last couple of years (I've put gaps between 4 and 5 and 8 and 9 in the B1G to account for the different number of teams):
- 2 - 5
- 3 - 11
- 8 - 17
- 13 - 25
- 15 - x
- 20 - 39
- 22 - 41
- 28 - 42
- 32 - 47
- 38 - x
- 54 - 59
- 67 - 68
- 83 - 87
- 120 - 160
The SEC is better top to bottom, there's nothing particularly top heavy about it. Here's 2012:
- 1 - 11
- 3 - 19
- 4 - 21
- 6 - 24
- 7 - x
- 10 - 27
- 17 - 31
- 25 - 35
- 38 - 71
- 40 - x
- 54 - 75
- 60 - 78
- 74 - 88
- 93 - 143
That's based on nothing but on-field performance--perception doesn't come into it in any way. Every SEC team was at least ten spots better than its B1G counterpart.
The last time the B1G didn't have a team at least 40 spots worse than the bottom SEC team was 2010, when Indiana was half-decent and Vanderbilt wasn't. The last three years it's been no contest.
December 22nd, 2013 at 2:46 PM ^
I would love BoB as the HC of the Lions. I think the guy is going to be a fantastic coach in the NFL and would be such a major upgrade over the current staff it isnt even funny.
Worth 18mm?
Yes.
December 22nd, 2013 at 2:56 PM ^
When you consider how much the Lions have on the line in contracts for some of their stars, dropping $18M to bring in a guy that can get the most out of them would be really smart and well worth it.
December 22nd, 2013 at 2:57 PM ^
Told his team that he was getting fired.
December 22nd, 2013 at 3:22 PM ^
I think their fans are starting to feel like us lion's fans...
December 22nd, 2013 at 3:40 PM ^
I'm not sure any fan base can feel like us Lion's fans. Ya, they may have a streak that resembles the Lions. But thier is no way they can actually relate. Id say Bucs fans might have an argument, but they have not only been to a Super Bowl, they actually won one. The real question is who can relate with the Cleveland Browns, not only are they one of 4 teams, along with the Lions, Jaqs and Texans to never play in a Super Bowl. They had to watch the franchise move to another city and win 2 Super Bowls since.
December 22nd, 2013 at 3:17 PM ^
Done everything I needed to see at psu. So I'm all for it, he's also a qb guy so I would love to see what he could do with staffords talent
December 22nd, 2013 at 11:00 PM ^
Stafford is a disaster right now but probably can't be cut because of the salary cap so they need to get a HC who is also a QB coach and that seems like Obrien assuming Gruden is not coming out of retirement.
December 23rd, 2013 at 12:42 AM ^
Stafford has the touch of a brick mason. Kid delivers a good medium and long ball, but he butchers 75% of his short passes, and zips them in so fast his receivers can't react and they tip the balls, causing pick- 6s that cost the Lions the playoffs.
This Lions defense was frequently dominant, the O line opened up great running lanes, and there was terrific talent at RB and in the receiving core. This was the most talented Detroit team we will see for decades, and Matthew Stafford's horrible play single-handledly killed what could have been a Super Bowl ,or at least NFC championship season.
December 22nd, 2013 at 3:40 PM ^
I wouldn't wish this on Bill. What has a Lions' Head Coach ever gone on to post-Lions? Coaching the Lions tends to end a coach's career. Don't do it Bill.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:18 PM ^
marinelli and morninwheg are actually pretty respected in the league. that was all millen.
December 22nd, 2013 at 7:06 PM ^
The Lions took Mariucci, Marinelli, and Morninwheg who all seemed like potential long-term NFL coaches and created a commentator and two coordinators. Of the last 15 Head Coaches over the last 50 years, only one (Jauron - an interim at that) has returned to head coaching in the NFL. The Lions head coaching gig is a career killer.
December 22nd, 2013 at 3:42 PM ^
If he can somehow teach Stafford to throw the ball to a Detroit Lion, Im 100% in favor of it.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:03 PM ^
he'd run like hell in the opposite direction from any Lions offer.
Of the 13 men who have been hired as the full-time head coach since WCF assumed total ownership of the Lions in November of 1963, not a single one has gone on to be a head coach again in the NFL after leaving Detroit.*
* Ford inherited George Wilson (who had led the Lions to three NFL championships in the '50s) but fired him after the '64 season. After being fired by Ford, Wilson later became Miami's first HC. Dick Jauron became coach of the Bills after being let go by the Lions after the 2005 season, but he was only an interim coach for five games after Mariucci was fired.
Under the Fords, the job in Detroit is a coaching graveyard.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:12 PM ^
It is sad that Jauron's 3 7-9 seasons with the Bills are the benchmark for post-Lions success. There have been 15 men to serve as head coach of the Lions (including those with the interim designation) since the Fords gained control of the franchise. They have combined for 1 playoff win in over 50 years.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:23 PM ^
died after his single season with the Lions, so I guess the Lions job was a literal graveyard.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:30 PM ^
That would be not be a part of his decision process and probably shouldn't be. If you go in with that mentality, you are already sunk.
The Lions have a better talent core right now than they have had under all those previous coaches, with the exception of Fontes.
Schwartz, in my opinion, is exceptionally bad. He'll never be a HC again not because of a Lions Stink but because the whole league knows he is a complete jackass.
December 22nd, 2013 at 5:19 PM ^
about his desire to return to the NFL as a HC. PSU knows it and the fans wouldn't be too upset if he left because he was pretty open about it. He won't take a college coaching job, only thing he'll take is NFL.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:12 PM ^
I would absolutely not be opposed to BO'B, but at this point I would prefer Stanford's David Shaw. Like O'Brien, he has many years of NFL experience as an assistant and has had plenty of success at Stanford as a head coach (34-6) and coordinator.
All of that being said, Schwartz hasnt been fired yet. I know the regular season has been frustrating to watch, but if the Lions make the playoffs, they still have a shot (however slim) to win some games and save his job, and that is ultimately the one and only expectation I had for him to keep said job.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:31 PM ^
Totally agree. Shaw would be my first call, O'Brien my second.
December 22nd, 2013 at 6:48 PM ^
Additionally, Shaw's dad Willie coached the Lions in the 80s and Shaw went to Adams
December 22nd, 2013 at 11:05 PM ^
That kind of history could resonate with the Fords and you can't argue with the job Shaw has done.
December 22nd, 2013 at 4:46 PM ^
After all these years (and loads of data) it doesn't seem that the Fords (with their poor reputation) will ever get anyone good to work for them. As Don noted above, coaching the Lions has been a career-limiting move for almost everyone.
December 22nd, 2013 at 6:37 PM ^
One major problem is that the Fords have repeatedly chosen bad GMs, Millen being the most obvious example. Bad GMs = bad head coaches = head scratching drafts
December 22nd, 2013 at 8:13 PM ^
Historically true but right now they have Meyhew, who has been one of the better GMs in the last five years. He can get the players, now they just need some halfway decent coaching.
December 23rd, 2013 at 9:20 PM ^
Exactly, getting Ansah and Warford this year both were very good choices. You can see how much the line on both sides has really improved. Mayhew isn't a bad GM.
December 23rd, 2013 at 9:35 AM ^
After last season? Jr. wouldn't let him because of the $ still on Schwartz' contract. I don't blame GM's or coaches in Detroit anymore. This mess is 100% on the Ford ownership and I will expect nothing to change until ownership changes.
December 22nd, 2013 at 5:11 PM ^
If Bill O'Brien makes a truly horrendous decision and winds up coaching the Lions, as with all other Lions coaches after their tenure since the 50s, we will all scratch our heads and wonder what anyone ever saw in him.
The Lions destroy coaching careers. Every single time. Doesn't matter how talented they are, or what potential they had to start with.
They all wind up looking like idiots.
Stay away, B O'B, if you know what's good for your career.
December 22nd, 2013 at 7:12 PM ^
As long as the Ford's own the Lions, there is no hope. They have changed every piece of the puzzle and nothing has changed.
December 23rd, 2013 at 9:30 AM ^
Nothing matters until the Fords sell the franchise. Until that happens, expect more of the same BS. New coach = Same old Lions
December 22nd, 2013 at 7:45 PM ^
So. Can we fire Mr. I'm Not A Coward now?
How about now?
Now?
Now?
December 22nd, 2013 at 7:50 PM ^
Regardless of who is hired, it's clear SOMEONE else needs to coach this team.
December 22nd, 2013 at 9:42 PM ^
I think the right move is to hire Jim Harbaugh for the Michigan job. Would love to have Brady and Mattison stay on as the DL Coach/Recruiting Coordinator and D-Coordinator, respectively.
December 22nd, 2013 at 9:47 PM ^
Fuck the Lie-Downs, the Fords don't deserve a fan base. I switched alliances to Tom Based Brady and the Patriots as soon as TB started playing, before he won any Super Bowls. I thought he got fucked out of PT and he was hands-down better than Henson even then. I can only cheer for an organization owned by WCF for so long before it starts to feel insulting.
fairweather bla bla bla yeah yeah. I'll stick with UofM through anything.
December 23rd, 2013 at 3:44 AM ^
are you kidding? 40 years of watching the Lions lose is not a fair weather fan but a pain fetish. I will never root for the lions again EVER.. If or when they win it all I won't be watching other than to see how they will blow it this time. So far I have not endured another Lion meltdown for the past 25 years so I was a fan for 15 enough is enough.
December 23rd, 2013 at 12:33 PM ^
He seems likely to take any job opening, based on past year's issues.