All the buzz concerning the Lions’ search for a head coach over the last couple of days has been about two of my least favorite candidates.
Greg Eno at Out of Bounds yesterday proclaimed his love for Steelers’ Offensive Line Coach Russ Grimm. While I see Eno’s point, hiring a guy that’s never done anything but coach five 300-pound guys how to push the four 300-pound guys running towards them away scares me. Fine, we’ll likely have a great O-Line, but what happens after that? Not sure if everybody is aware, but the O-Line was just one of many problems the Lions faced last season. What about the QB? What about the lack of production from the WR’s? What about dropped passes? What about stopping the run? Can an O-Line coach take care of all of those problems?
According to Terry Foster, the rest of the NFL sees the Lions coaching search as a big joke. Terry wrote in his personl blog yesterday that he spoke with one of his sources from inside the NFL, and, as he put it “The entire NFL is laughing at the Detroit Lions over this coaching search,” he said. “They are looking at a lot of people. But they are looking at the wrong people.” Foster continued, “The knock on Grimm seems to be universal. He is clumsy and disorganized. He does not pay attention to detail. He’s been described as Shrek in a coaching shirt.”
Am I the only person that is worried by that?
Today, Mlive.com’s Lions weblog informs us that my other worst choice might actually be the leading candidate to take the reigns of the Lions next season. Jim Haslett, who was average at best during his time in the Big Easy, is a defensive-minded tough guy who was never able to get the full potential out of his players in New Orleans.
The last thing we need is a guy that can’t get his players to reach their potential. The Lions’ locker room is filled with potential. We need somebody that knows how to bring it out.
The best name on the market right now, in my mind, is still Gary Kubiak. While it’s very likely that Kubiak will end up in charge of the Houston Texans, the Lions and Matt Millen need to at least make a strong push for him. It seems to me that placing Grimm and Haslett at the top of your list indicates a willingness to settle. This team is not in a place where it can settle for a second-tier coach. The Lions need a quality coach that can open the offense and motivate the players. They need somebody that has won before and knows how to build that winning culture in the locker room.
Neither Haslett or Grimm fit that profile, and if the Lions pick either one of them anyway, it will verify my worst fears - The Detroit Lions have no clue.
More from Kevin Antcliff at kevinantcliff.com