- Thread Author
- #1
kdp1980
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2011
- Messages
- 6,213
https://247sports.com/nfl/detroit-l...s-top-candidates-Lions-125494792/#125494792_2
Top Lions candidates to replace Jim Bob Cooter
ByMAX DEMARA Nov 28, 9:20 AM
Share
0 Comments
The Detroit Lions are struggling through another lost season, and much of the reason for the team's struggle in 2018 has been due to an offense which doesn't get the job done with Jim Bob Cooter. This past offseason, Detroit didn't touch the offensive side of the ball, allowing Cooter to continue under a new staff. But given the problems the team's group has had with consistency, it could be time to move on from Cooter at the end of a failed season in Detroit, and Matt Patricia could be looking for a way to save some face after a tough year.
If he does that, the best move for the team to make would be to fire Cooter and look for his own offensive coordinator with fresh ideas to help Matthew Stafford and a Detroit offense get over the top for good. Detroit's defense has shown signs it can be dominant in the future, but in the meantime, the offense needs to carry the load and be better than average if the Lions really want to win big.
So if Cooter is indeed on the chopping block at season's end, what direction should the Lions go? The field could be wide open and have tons of names from former NFL bosses to hot college names. The Lions need to have an open mind and cast a wide net to get ideas on how to fix their offense, and these folks could give them a great shot at doing just that.
SLIDE
1 of 10
1. CALE GUNDY, OKLAHOMA CO-OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Title/Alt Text
(Photo: Jackson Laizure, Getty)
It doesn't seem like the Lions would be able to offer Lincoln Riley what he might want to make the jump to the NFL, namely, the head coach position. But how interesting would it be to tap into the next best vein of the Oklahoma offensive brain trust in Gundy, the team's offensive coordinator. Gundy, the brother of offensive guru Mike Gundy, has offense in his blood and has done a great job to open things up with the Sooners. This would inject some excitement into the Detroit attack. He's got no NFL experience, but the Lions shouldn't be worrying about that at this point, and it would be fun to see what he could do in Detroit.
SLIDE
2 of 10
2. GEORGE GODSEY, DETROIT (QB)
Title/Alt Text
(Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
Godsey has called plays before in Houston under another Patriots disciple in Bill O'Brien and the fact that he's on the Detroit staff now is intriguing. When the Lions replaced Joe Lombardi with Cooter, things opened up a bit for the offense until Cooter proved he could not adjust. Would it be as simple as letting Godsey call some plays and see what happens? It's possible. In Detroit, Godsey is now the quarterbacks coach, so he'd have as good a rapport as anyone with Stafford and possibly know what it could take to spruce up the offense. If the Lions don't go outside their own building, this is the name to remember. He would likely be Detroit's first interview, too.
SLIDE
3 of 10
3. TODD HALEY, FORMER BROWNS OC
(Photo: Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports)
One of the more cantankerous personalities in the league, Haley knows what it takes to design a good offense and wouldn't shy away from pushing Stafford if he didn't feel he was operating the right way. This might not be a popular move in the locker room, but in order to get Stafford to understand what it would take to be a winner and guide him to be so, Haley could do the trick. His tenures everywhere have ended in disaster, so it would take some ego checking from both Haley and Stafford, but if the two could work in harmony, they could bring out the best in each other. At the very least, it's worth thinking about if you're the Lions.
SLIDE
4 of 10
4. CHRIS PETERSEN, WASHINGTON COACH
(Photo: Jennifer Buchannan, USA TODAY Sports)
Petersen has a nice life in Washington leading the Huskies as a top boss, but he is the original godfather of the fun, wide open offense that is all the craze in college and even the NFL now. Back to his days at Boise State, Petersen proved he can get the most out of the players he coaches with an open offensive mind, so pairing him with some of the Detroit talent would be interesting. Like others on the list, Petersen might not leave for anything other than a pro head coaching job and might not even leave for that, but if he was looking to take things one step at a time, getting this gig and turning around the Lions would be a good first step to get an even more plum NFL opening one day. All he can say is no.
SLIDE
5 of 10
5. DAVID SHAW, STANFORD COACH
(Photo: Albert Thomas/TheBootleg.com, 247Sports)
Shaw has ignored overtures to jump to the pro game before, but could he be enticed simply by a coordinator gig? For years, he's run a pro style offense at Stanford predicated behind toughness and aggressive running games. That could fit with the personnel the Lions have, and Shaw could prove himself as one of the smarter coaches in the league quickly if he can clean up the mess that has been the Lions offense. This would probably be one of the better coaching fits given what Patricia wants the Lions offense to be might align perfectly with what Shaw can do. They could be similar in style and approach, making this a potentially great marriage.
SLIDE
6 of 10
6. JERRY SCHUPLINSKI, NEW ENGLAND (QB)
(Photo: Getty)
Schuplinski is a relative coaching newbie in the NFL having only worked in the league since 2013, but his time has been spent in the same offense as Tom Brady and several other star New England players, and Patricia and Quinn would know him from there. Like some others on the list, Schuplinski has never called a play in the league before, but he's close with Josh McDaniels, and nabbing him to become the team's next OC could help Stafford take some key next steps as well as give the team the new outside voice they crave who has an inside track to McDaniels and one of the more successful offenses in the league. As an added bonus, he's got New England ties.
SLIDE
7 of 10
7. NATHANIEL HACKETT, FORMER JAGUARS OC
(Photo: Roy K. Miller, Getty)
Prior to joining the Jaguars, Hackett was the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills and spent three years at Syracuse, where he worked under Doug Marrone. He is the son of former NFL assistant and USC head coach Paul Hackett.
Obviously, Lions have not hesitated to look at folks with Syracuse connections in the past as Patricia filled out his staff last winter, making Hackett a potential name to watch for the Lions in the future. Patricia is also close with Marrone as well as his staff, so that connection gives this an additional layer to think about. The Lions did not move on from Cooter as Patricia elected to leave the offensive side of the ball alone for the most part after taking the job. While Hackett saw his struggles in Jacksonville, he never had a quarterback with the talent of Stafford and some of the weaponry the Lions could offer. And he could relish a shot at a second chance with some talented players in Detroit. Watch this name closely.
SLIDE
8 of 10
8. CHAD O'SHEA, NEW ENGLAND (WR)
(Photo: Getty)
The 23-year coaching veteran has been with the Patriots since 2009 and has worked wonders with an absolute bizarre cast of receivers. O'Shea has helped Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Deion Branch, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and many other receivers achieve breakout seasons. Before joining the Patriots, he helped Bernard Berrian in Minnesota rank second in the NFL in yards-per-catch with 20.8. The Vikings offense, led by middling quarterbacks, led the NFL with 13 touchdown receptions of 20 yards or more. The Lions roster is talented, and O'Shea could make some magic happen with it. Plus, he has the familiarity with Patricia due to their time together in New England, so they should be able to coexist. If the Lions could convince him to leave, it would be an interesting move for the offense.
SLIDE
9 of 10
9. GARY KUBIAK, FORMER NFL COACH AND OC
Title/Alt Text
(Photo: Joe Amon, Getty)
Kubiak has presided over some of the better, more organized offenses in the NFL throughout his tenure, and the fact that he might be looking for a job is very interesting indeed for the Lions. Kubiak would know Detroit's personnel given he once interviewed for the head coach job in the Motor City prior to Patricia and Jim Caldwell. Is he too philosophically close to Cooter? Maybe, but Kubiak is his own man and has the jewelry and experience to prove that he could be the ideal man to get Stafford where he needs to go. He could also be a crutch for Patricia to lean on as a young head coach given his experience. Another interesting name to remember.
SLIDE
10 of 10
10. KLIFF KINGSBURY, FORMER TEXAS TECH HEAD COACH
Kliff Kingsbury
(Photo: Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports)
There would be no better way for Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn to prove they're serious about joining the next new wave of the NFL other than stepping up and hiring a guy like Kingsbury, who is thought to be one of the brighter offensive minds in college football, to run the show completely. Offensively, Big 12 football is the goal for plenty of NFL offenses now, and Kingsbury could give the Lions a massive makeover in play design and also offer some young swagger to the room. It could be a winning combination for Patricia and his Lions to remember, and one of the better moves the team could make. Kingsbury reportedly has plenty of NFL interest, so the Lions would have to step up and get aggressive to make it happen, but it would be interesting and would give the team some much-needed swagger.
Top Lions candidates to replace Jim Bob Cooter
ByMAX DEMARA Nov 28, 9:20 AM
Share
0 Comments
The Detroit Lions are struggling through another lost season, and much of the reason for the team's struggle in 2018 has been due to an offense which doesn't get the job done with Jim Bob Cooter. This past offseason, Detroit didn't touch the offensive side of the ball, allowing Cooter to continue under a new staff. But given the problems the team's group has had with consistency, it could be time to move on from Cooter at the end of a failed season in Detroit, and Matt Patricia could be looking for a way to save some face after a tough year.
If he does that, the best move for the team to make would be to fire Cooter and look for his own offensive coordinator with fresh ideas to help Matthew Stafford and a Detroit offense get over the top for good. Detroit's defense has shown signs it can be dominant in the future, but in the meantime, the offense needs to carry the load and be better than average if the Lions really want to win big.
So if Cooter is indeed on the chopping block at season's end, what direction should the Lions go? The field could be wide open and have tons of names from former NFL bosses to hot college names. The Lions need to have an open mind and cast a wide net to get ideas on how to fix their offense, and these folks could give them a great shot at doing just that.
SLIDE
1 of 10
1. CALE GUNDY, OKLAHOMA CO-OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Title/Alt Text
(Photo: Jackson Laizure, Getty)
It doesn't seem like the Lions would be able to offer Lincoln Riley what he might want to make the jump to the NFL, namely, the head coach position. But how interesting would it be to tap into the next best vein of the Oklahoma offensive brain trust in Gundy, the team's offensive coordinator. Gundy, the brother of offensive guru Mike Gundy, has offense in his blood and has done a great job to open things up with the Sooners. This would inject some excitement into the Detroit attack. He's got no NFL experience, but the Lions shouldn't be worrying about that at this point, and it would be fun to see what he could do in Detroit.
SLIDE
2 of 10
2. GEORGE GODSEY, DETROIT (QB)
Title/Alt Text
(Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
Godsey has called plays before in Houston under another Patriots disciple in Bill O'Brien and the fact that he's on the Detroit staff now is intriguing. When the Lions replaced Joe Lombardi with Cooter, things opened up a bit for the offense until Cooter proved he could not adjust. Would it be as simple as letting Godsey call some plays and see what happens? It's possible. In Detroit, Godsey is now the quarterbacks coach, so he'd have as good a rapport as anyone with Stafford and possibly know what it could take to spruce up the offense. If the Lions don't go outside their own building, this is the name to remember. He would likely be Detroit's first interview, too.
SLIDE
3 of 10
3. TODD HALEY, FORMER BROWNS OC
(Photo: Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports)
One of the more cantankerous personalities in the league, Haley knows what it takes to design a good offense and wouldn't shy away from pushing Stafford if he didn't feel he was operating the right way. This might not be a popular move in the locker room, but in order to get Stafford to understand what it would take to be a winner and guide him to be so, Haley could do the trick. His tenures everywhere have ended in disaster, so it would take some ego checking from both Haley and Stafford, but if the two could work in harmony, they could bring out the best in each other. At the very least, it's worth thinking about if you're the Lions.
SLIDE
4 of 10
4. CHRIS PETERSEN, WASHINGTON COACH
(Photo: Jennifer Buchannan, USA TODAY Sports)
Petersen has a nice life in Washington leading the Huskies as a top boss, but he is the original godfather of the fun, wide open offense that is all the craze in college and even the NFL now. Back to his days at Boise State, Petersen proved he can get the most out of the players he coaches with an open offensive mind, so pairing him with some of the Detroit talent would be interesting. Like others on the list, Petersen might not leave for anything other than a pro head coaching job and might not even leave for that, but if he was looking to take things one step at a time, getting this gig and turning around the Lions would be a good first step to get an even more plum NFL opening one day. All he can say is no.
SLIDE
5 of 10
5. DAVID SHAW, STANFORD COACH
(Photo: Albert Thomas/TheBootleg.com, 247Sports)
Shaw has ignored overtures to jump to the pro game before, but could he be enticed simply by a coordinator gig? For years, he's run a pro style offense at Stanford predicated behind toughness and aggressive running games. That could fit with the personnel the Lions have, and Shaw could prove himself as one of the smarter coaches in the league quickly if he can clean up the mess that has been the Lions offense. This would probably be one of the better coaching fits given what Patricia wants the Lions offense to be might align perfectly with what Shaw can do. They could be similar in style and approach, making this a potentially great marriage.
SLIDE
6 of 10
6. JERRY SCHUPLINSKI, NEW ENGLAND (QB)
(Photo: Getty)
Schuplinski is a relative coaching newbie in the NFL having only worked in the league since 2013, but his time has been spent in the same offense as Tom Brady and several other star New England players, and Patricia and Quinn would know him from there. Like some others on the list, Schuplinski has never called a play in the league before, but he's close with Josh McDaniels, and nabbing him to become the team's next OC could help Stafford take some key next steps as well as give the team the new outside voice they crave who has an inside track to McDaniels and one of the more successful offenses in the league. As an added bonus, he's got New England ties.
SLIDE
7 of 10
7. NATHANIEL HACKETT, FORMER JAGUARS OC
(Photo: Roy K. Miller, Getty)
Prior to joining the Jaguars, Hackett was the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills and spent three years at Syracuse, where he worked under Doug Marrone. He is the son of former NFL assistant and USC head coach Paul Hackett.
Obviously, Lions have not hesitated to look at folks with Syracuse connections in the past as Patricia filled out his staff last winter, making Hackett a potential name to watch for the Lions in the future. Patricia is also close with Marrone as well as his staff, so that connection gives this an additional layer to think about. The Lions did not move on from Cooter as Patricia elected to leave the offensive side of the ball alone for the most part after taking the job. While Hackett saw his struggles in Jacksonville, he never had a quarterback with the talent of Stafford and some of the weaponry the Lions could offer. And he could relish a shot at a second chance with some talented players in Detroit. Watch this name closely.
SLIDE
8 of 10
8. CHAD O'SHEA, NEW ENGLAND (WR)
(Photo: Getty)
The 23-year coaching veteran has been with the Patriots since 2009 and has worked wonders with an absolute bizarre cast of receivers. O'Shea has helped Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Deion Branch, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and many other receivers achieve breakout seasons. Before joining the Patriots, he helped Bernard Berrian in Minnesota rank second in the NFL in yards-per-catch with 20.8. The Vikings offense, led by middling quarterbacks, led the NFL with 13 touchdown receptions of 20 yards or more. The Lions roster is talented, and O'Shea could make some magic happen with it. Plus, he has the familiarity with Patricia due to their time together in New England, so they should be able to coexist. If the Lions could convince him to leave, it would be an interesting move for the offense.
SLIDE
9 of 10
9. GARY KUBIAK, FORMER NFL COACH AND OC
Title/Alt Text
(Photo: Joe Amon, Getty)
Kubiak has presided over some of the better, more organized offenses in the NFL throughout his tenure, and the fact that he might be looking for a job is very interesting indeed for the Lions. Kubiak would know Detroit's personnel given he once interviewed for the head coach job in the Motor City prior to Patricia and Jim Caldwell. Is he too philosophically close to Cooter? Maybe, but Kubiak is his own man and has the jewelry and experience to prove that he could be the ideal man to get Stafford where he needs to go. He could also be a crutch for Patricia to lean on as a young head coach given his experience. Another interesting name to remember.
SLIDE
10 of 10
10. KLIFF KINGSBURY, FORMER TEXAS TECH HEAD COACH
Kliff Kingsbury
(Photo: Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports)
There would be no better way for Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn to prove they're serious about joining the next new wave of the NFL other than stepping up and hiring a guy like Kingsbury, who is thought to be one of the brighter offensive minds in college football, to run the show completely. Offensively, Big 12 football is the goal for plenty of NFL offenses now, and Kingsbury could give the Lions a massive makeover in play design and also offer some young swagger to the room. It could be a winning combination for Patricia and his Lions to remember, and one of the better moves the team could make. Kingsbury reportedly has plenty of NFL interest, so the Lions would have to step up and get aggressive to make it happen, but it would be interesting and would give the team some much-needed swagger.
Last edited:
