DETROIT, MI (WTVB) – Jim Caldwell is out as head coach of the Detroit Lions.
The team announced early Monday morning that general manager Bob Quinn informed Caldwell that he will not be returning as head coach. Officials around the NFL said the news doesn’t come as a surprise after the Lions lost hope for the playoffs by losing at Cincinnati in Week 16.
The Lions ended 9-7 in 2017 after a 3-1 start to the year. Caldwell will finish his four-year run in Detroit with a 36-28 record. He is the first Lions head coach with a winning record since Joe Schmidt in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Detroit made the playoffs twice and finished with a losing record just once under Caldwell.
The Lions have not won a playoff game since 1991, the second-longest active drought in the NFL, and went 0-2 under Caldwell.
In 2017, Caldwell’s Lions beat just one team that ended the season with a winning record (Minnesota in Week 4). The Lions closed out the season by beating Green Bay Sunday 35-11.
Word around the NFL is that the Lions are expected to interview Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia for their open coaching position and have reached out to current Texans DC Mike Vrabel and Panthers DC Steve Wilks for interviews. If Patricia gets the nod, the Lions could retain Jim Bob Cooter and the offense, keeping continuity for quarterback Matthew Stafford.
