By Julie Cudney
The Detroit Lions made history this season, but not in a good way. They became the only team in all of NFL history to finish the season 0-16. While this record wasn't one that team's fight for, it did equal some hope for fans as it meant the team would have to go for a major overhaul in the offseason. First, they fired president Matt Millen midway through the season. Coach Rod Marinelli knew he was next, and sure enough, the Lions cut him loose at the end of the season. Other teams who dropped their coaches at the end of the season, like the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos, have already chosen replacements, and the Lions seem to be getting closer to picking their next leader as well. Two of the front runners seem to be Todd Bowles and Jim Schwartz. Be there for the next era with Detroit Lions tickets from http://www.stubhub.com/detroit-lions-tickets.
Schwartz has reportedly already been back for a second interview with the Lions, which means a meeting with the Lions' owner, William Clay Ford Sr. If the Lions picked up Schwartz, it would be a nod that the team was looking for someone to focus on defense as he is currently the defensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans. His defensive experience goes all the way back to his playing days at Georgetown University where he took the field as a linebacker. He started coaching in 1989 as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Maryland. He took the same position with the University of Minnesota in 1990. His first position coaching position came in 1991 as the secondary coach for North Carolina Central. He started his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns before they moved to Baltimore as a scout as well as a defensive assistant. After the move, he started coaching the outside linebackers for the Ravens as well as being their assistant/quality control coach. He came to the Titans as their linebackers coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2001. Since then, the Titans have put up impressive defensive stats, landing them in top rankings in the league.
Todd Bowles is almost as storied a player as he is a coach. After playing defensive back at Temple University, he played for eight seasons in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers. He was with the Redskins when they won the Super Bowl after the 1987 season. His first non-playing NFL job wasn't long after he left football as he became part of the Green Bay Packers personnel department in 1995. He moved to the college ranks in 1997 as the defensive coordinator/secondary coach at Morehouse College. The next year, he was the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at Grambling State. In 2000, he became the defensive backs coach for the New York Jets, leading the team to an impressive rating in pass defense. From there, he became the defensive nickel package coach with the Cleveland Browns before being promoted to secondary coach. His next position came with the Dallas Cowboys as their secondary coach. He stayed until the 2008 season, where he was part of the impressive comeback story of the Miami Dolphins as their assistant head coach/secondary coach.
This article was written by Julie Cudney and is sponsored by StubHub. StubHub sells tickets to sporting events, concerts and theater productions. Go to StubHub.com for Detroit Lions tickets.
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