The More Things Change: Reprise

Two days after finishing a dismal 3-13 season with an upset road victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli used his final news conference to announce several coaching changes.

Donnie Henderson is out as defensive coordinator and Larry Beightol is out as offensive line coach, both after just one season with the Lions. I agree with both moves.

Henderson came in, highly touted, after running the New York Jets defense under Herman Edwards. Henderson took the Jets from the NFL's #21 defense to the #7 defense after his first season. No such outcome in Detroit. The Lions finished 2006 with the #28 defense, down from #20 in 2005. All season long, I would watch games and comment to myself and my brother that the 2006 Lions were defensively worse than last year. Pass and run defense was poor and Detroit didn't seem to get much spark from the defense when it was really needed. We could seem to count on the defense folding at key times late in games when the Lions needed to protect a lead, or get the ball back quickly to give themselves a better chance at waging a one score comeback.

Head coach Rod Marinelli and Henderson have a long term friendship but couldn't seem to agree on the defensive system so Marinelli pulled the plug and sent his buddy packing. He's bringing in his son-in-law, Joe Barry, to take over. Barry spent six seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as linebackers coach. Marinelli was expected to introduce Barry at a news conference at 11 AM Wednesday morning. As Lena Horne said in her Broadway show, "nepotism never hurt nobody." Let's hope this in-law, father-son defensive tandem can get the Lions defense moving back up the rankings instead of down.

Also out is offensive line coach Larry Beightol. Marinelli called Beightol a very good coach but said he felt like he needed to make a change. Considering the fact that Detroit's O-line couldn't create holes for Kevin Jones to run through and couldn't hold a pocket long enough to give quarterback Jon Kitna enough time to let a pass route complete, I agree. Similar to Henderson, Beightol had years of success as offensive line coach with the Green Bay Packers but things weren't working in Detroit. No word on a successor yet.




The final coaching change, Marinelli had no control over, but he had to accept. Long time special teams coordinator Chuck Priefer is retiring. Priefer is one of the best special teams coaches in the league. He's been with the Lions the past 10 seasons and has 17 total coaching years in the NFL. He will be missed. He's produced any number of special teams pro bowlers including Lions return specialist Eddie Drummond and place kicker Jason Hanson. Punter Nick Harris also has enjoyed his best seasons under Priefer's tutelage. Priefer is 65 years old and says he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren. He will likely still help the Lions as a consultant or clinician.


The one change we won't get is a change at the top. It appears team president Matt Millen will be back for a seventh season, despite his 24-72 record since taking over the team. In his six years with the franchise, he has fired three coaches, hired three coaches, exercised numerous first round draft picks, and fired one of them. I don't know what owner William Clay Ford is thinking by keeping Millen. Of course, that's just it-- he's probably not thinking.

Sirius NFL Radio host and former NFL lineman Randy Cross made the perfect analogy on Monday's Movin' the Chains program. In a nutshell, he said ownership can be the biggest problem. He made the perfect analogy between the Ford Motor Company and the Detroit Lions. Ford Motor Company once produced a car named after William Clay Ford's father. The Edsel was a huge flop and its production run didn't last long-- only three years. Randy Cross says William Clay Ford hired an "Edsel" in Matt Millen and, like the car, he's been a huge flop. Yet, Ford is letting this "Edsel" stay around longer than the original-- twice as long, so far.

Oh, Good Evening!