Should Caldwell Be Back Next Season?

[emu steve]

I say 'Yes'.

And I hope he is able to retain his DC [[defensive coordinator).

I like our coaching trio of Caldwell and his OC and DC.

I really like what I saw from Stafford this season.

I had bad vibes about this season when I saw the start of the 2015 schedule. Then some really bad luck [[SEA and GB games) came calling.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/co...well/78247580/

[EastsideAl]

No, but he will be. Martha seems to love him, and his calm [[I'd call it listless and detached) demeanor. The team's runup to a mediocre 7-9, long after it didn't matter any more, has taken some of the fan pressure off to fire him. So we will have to suffer through another season of stunning predictability, good players lost in an inflexible game plan, terrible errors and lapses of judgement at crucial moments, and that impassive and somewhat befuddled scowl on the sidelines.

[Wheels]

New GM=new coaching staff. Say goodbye to all!

[Lowell]

Unless the Lions can come up with another established and proven coach, kind of like the Tigers grabbing Sparky Anderson and dumping Les Moss, I say stay with him. Once the heads rolled in mid-season, the Lions had a great record. In the meantime put money into the offensive line particularly pass rush blockers. If Stafford get protected he is awesome.

[drjeff]

It was astonishing how quickly things changed after dumping Lombardi and his ridiculous offensive schemes that apparently nobody on the team could understand. The players played hard the entire season when they could have phoned it in after about week 5. I'd like to see the coaching staff return.

[Downriviera]

Promote Teryl Austin to head coach and let him continue to run the defense as well. Problem is, by the time we get a new GM the best coaching prospects will be gone. Austin already interviewing with Browns and Dolphins.

[Scottathew]

Caldwell has provided entertaining football. The goal for next year is to be in the race for a playoff spot until the end of the season [[not out from the beginning). As a casual football fan, I am satisfied.

[softailrider]

Caldwell has provided entertaining football. The goal for next year is to be in the race for a playoff spot until the end of the season [[not out from the beginning). As a casual football fan, I am satisfied.

1 and 7 and out of it after the 1st month is entertaining? Not to me it isn't. I would say they played like a bunch of underachieving losers.

Bring him back only if there isn't anybody better available

[daddeeo]

No way Ojay. That lame explanation after the Hail Mary pass against the Packers did it for me.

[Hypestyles]

If Caldwell is replaced [[the optics of this would make things rather bizarre in light of the relatively lengthy tenures of his precedessors), then the Rooney Rule should still be observed. Find some solid black candidates to interview.

[innercitydoc]

I say keep him. The coaching carousel has gone on long enough. The Lions will be better under OC Cooter and DC Austin if we retain them. The schedule next year is much easier especially if we play like the second half of this season. I predict at least 9-7 and I'm pretty pessimistic each year.

[Scottathew]

...the Rooney Rule should still be observed. Find some solid black candidates to interview.

Interesting! I had never heard of that before today. For those of you wondering: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooney_Rule

According to the article, the Lions were fined $200,000 in 2003 for not interviewing any minority candidates.

[softailrider]

No way Ojay. That lame explanation after the Hail Mary pass against the Packers did it for me.

Caldwell also wasn't aware of that batted ball out of the end zone call the Lions got screwed on. Add that win to the Green Bay game and the Lions would be would be in the playoffs this year.

They've won one single playoff game since 1957. A successful season to me would be a trip to the playoffs and a WIN. Starting out 1 and 7 and being out of contention after the first 4 weeks, smacks of bad coaching to me. Offensive line was an absolute embarssment the first half of the season, Lombardi's play calling didn't work. Who put together that line? Who hired Lombardi? There has to be some accountability somewhere.

[Ray1936]

Lions playbook? Two runs up the middle for four yards, an incomplete pass, and a punt. If I was Martha Ford, I'd move the franchise to Los Angeles and have a Super Bowl LII winner.

[ABetterDetroit]

Martha said they where going to do a national search for the best available guy to run the football operations. In no way will you get the best General Manager when the owner will dictate who the head coach will be. If in fact the lions are really changing, Caldwell has to go. With everyone on staff under contract nothing needs to be done before the hire so he can interview and decide who to keep, but Caldwell will not make the cut.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Promote Teryl Austin to head coach and let him continue to run the defense as well. Problem is, by the time we get a new GM the best coaching prospects will be gone. Austin already interviewing with Browns and Dolphins.

While he is getting interviews, I think it's all a formality, just to satisfy the "Rooney Rule". He's never been a HC anywhere, just a coordinator. And his stock might have fell a bit since the Lions defense was worst this year, after finishing ranked 2nd last season, injuries [[Levy) and the loss of Suh. I hope he gets a opportunity though, tired of seeing the same ole "re-tread" coaches continue to get jobs after they fail somewhere else. Todd Boles did a great job with the Jets, his first year, until they blew it losing to the Bills.

[jlnascar]

What does it really matter. Do you really have the faith to believe they will ever make a correct decision. I will hope for mediocre at best.

[Smirnoff]

IMO: Caldwell should have been fired at 1-7, he & all of the coaching staff with 3 or more years with the Lions need to go! Why..., they are the losing culture & will not be able to change their behavior with a new winning program. The reason the Lions went 6-2 at the end was directly related to Martha Ford's action of firing the GM & President, this significance changed player's behavior [[it wasn't Caldwell, or Lombardi's dismissal). Sheldon White as GM = 20 more experienced years of acceptable culture losing.....

[TheUsualSuspect]

Don't be fooled by dominating performances over weakened competition after the team played itself out of contention. If you need reminding.

1) Caldwell held steadfast that Lombardi wasn't the problem until he was FORCED to fire him.
2) The "We were not expecting the Hail-Mary pass" should have been the nail in the coffin.
3) Requiring a GM to take a lame-duck coach would be prototypical and classic Detroit Lion behavior. No GM worth his salt will accept that kind of caveat.
4) Allowing player opinion, ANY player opinion to dictate the coaching position is a sign that the inmates have truly taken over the asylum.

The brooming of Mayhew and Lewand began the sanitizing process. Complete it with a clean sweep of the organization from top to bottom.

Oh my goodness...stay angry Lions fans, stay angry.

[Danny]

Next season will be the same Lions with their same ole mess like last years and since 1991. At least half the staff was fired and more firings are coming. Caldwell has got to go and so is Stafford. We keep Calvin Johnson if this failing organization have the millions of dollars to pay him.

Detroit Lions season with Caldwell and Staffard [[6-8)

Detroit Lions with a Stafford and new GM and coach [[10-6) passing the NFC Wild Card bid. Finish round two before the NFC playoffs.

[gnome]

SHOULD Cauldwell stay?

No.

WILL Cauldwell stay?

Yes.

He will stay because the clock is ticking and Mrs Ford has not pulled the trigger on a new GM, and IF she does dump Sheldon White, the new GM will not have enough time to get a Cauldwell replacement before all the best candidates are taken.

ticktock.

[gnome]

Don't be fooled by dominating performances over weakened competition after the team played itself out of contention. If you need reminding.

1) Caldwell held steadfast that Lombardi wasn't the problem until he was FORCED to fire him.
2) The "We were not expecting the Hail-Mary pass" should have been the nail in the coffin.
3) Requiring a GM to take a lame-duck coach would be prototypical and classic Detroit Lion behavior. No GM worth his salt will accept that kind of caveat.
4) Allowing player opinion, ANY player opinion to dictate the coaching position is a sign that the inmates have truly taken over the asylum.

The brooming of Mayhew and Lewand began the sanitizing process. Complete it with a clean sweep of the organization from top to bottom.

Oh my goodness...stay angry Lions fans, stay angry.

good post.

[DeLemur]

Yes.
Surprised its even a topic. But this is the NFL where coaches are paid millions and dismissed months later with millions. He deserves another year.

[smogboy]

I can see multiple scenarios where Jim Caldwell be retained.

•He still has two years left on his contract. Firing him now means eating the last two years of his contract on top of hiring a new coach.
•He has the respect and adoration of his players. Some might argue that the players' opinions should not matter, but if the Lions were to get a new coach now- the good will and respect will have to be rebuilt.
•The new general manager can agree to keep Jim Caldwell on for one more season to see how he works out. The new GM will have this grace period where if Caldwell fails, they can justify their own hiring that much more and have first hand rationale on firing Caldwell.
•Is there a candidate out there that the Lions can hire? Not everyone will want to come here.
•Mrs. Ford likes the guy.

[smogboy]

I can also see the rationale for letting Jim Caldwell too.

•His in game management has been highly questionable.
•The brand new general manager just wants a clean slate.
•His knowledge of the game & rules has been questioned.
•He's been pretty snarly to the press corps and the fans during press conferences. He almost comes across as secretive and smug now.
•His reluctance to fire Lombardi.