Detroit Lions Candidate For Head Coach: Bill Cowher

Jan 29, 2013, New Orleans, LA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers former coach Bill Cowher (left) and Miami Dolphins former quarterback Dan Marino at CBS sports Super Bowl XLVII press conference at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Could Bill Cowher be lured back into coaching be the Detroit Lions? With the talent currently on the Detroit Lions roster, Cowher might consider a return to the coaching with the Lions. The perception among media seems to be that the Detroit Lions are a franchise that is ready to win now with the right coach.

So the questions are: Is Bill Cowher the right coach?

Is he willing to jump from the comfort of the television studio into the fire of an NFL season?

During the press conference explaining Jim Schwartz’s firing, General Manager Martin Mayhew and Team President Tom Lewand said they have a very specific profile for the next head coach.

"“It’s bigger than X’s and O’s,” Mayhew said. “It’s bigger than scheme. It’s bigger than that. This guy has to be a leader and lead our team.”It is a mentality. It has to be a belief that no matter what’s happening, you have an opportunity to win. You can’t put yourself in a situation where you get a fatalistic attitude or you get the belief that you can’t get over the hump, so to speak. I think that’s something that will need to be addressed in terms of the coach of our football team.”"

The phrase “changing the culture of the franchise’ has also been batted around related to the search for a new head coach.

If these elements are indeed included in Mayhew’s profile for a new coach then Bill Cowher may fit the bill.

When he was head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bill Cowher had the reputation of being a highly competitive, hard-nosed and defensive minded coach.  The perception of Bill Cowher matches the hard-working blue-collar attitude Detroit Sports fans like to represent.

Bill Cowher brings with him a resume and track record of success that could attract a highly qualified NFL staff.

• Cowher had a 149-80-1 record as a head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers
• He led the Steelers to 8 divisional championships and 4 AFC championship games
• Cowher’s 12-9 playoff record culminated in a Super bowl championship in 2005
• He suffered only three losing season in his 15 year coaching career

If there was any criticism of Bill Cowher as a head coaching candidate it’s that he has been away from the game of 6 years.

That criticism is not exactly valid because Cowher has been analyzing games for network TV during that time.  The experience as an analyst should have given him a unique perspective one would not get when caught up in the day-to-day grind of preparing to play an NFL schedule.

If the Lions are going to make a play for Bill Cowher they should make their move soon. He is also a rumored target of the Washington Redskins who just yesterday fired head coach Mike Shanahan