Detroit Lions: Expectation remains that Jim Bob Cooter will be retained
By Zac Snyder
The expectation has been Jim Bob Cooter will remain as offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions and that holds on the verge of Matt Patricia’s hiring.
There will be mostly sweeping changes to the Detroit Lions coaching staff but most changes have been a trickle over the last few weeks. The one assistant coaching change that was swift was with offensive line coach Ron Price, who was fired along with Jim Caldwell immediately following the regular season. It was the one decision Bob Quinn apparently didn’t wait for getting a head coach in place to make.
With the offensive line coach typically the coach most responsible for the running game, Quinn acknowledged the issues in that area and held Prince accountable with his job. That doesn’t absolve offensive coordinator from all responsibility but it does help explain why it has seemed Cooter has been set for a return. The offense hasn’t been perfect, but there was quite a bit right last season, with the running game being one big exception.
It has been the expectation that Cooter would remain in Detroit, and nothing has changed with the NFL now just one day away from going in full offseason mode. ESPN’s Adam Schefter spent a portion of his Super Bowl Sunday morning with an update on Cooter, even if it isn’t really much of an update at all.
"The Detroit Lions are expected to retain offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, per league sources, an important move considering that their new head coach, Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, will oversee the team and defense."
The only thing that is really notable of this non-update is the timing. Win or lose this evening, the New England Patriots’ season will come to an end, freeing Matt Patricia to officially be announced as the Lions’ new head coach.
Patricia is expected to stock his first staff with familiar faces; a collection of people he’s worked with as he’s made his rise in the coaching ranks. Cooter would be a notable exception as the two have no prior experience working together.
However, Patricia’s history with Bob Quinn helps in that regard. The existing relationship between Quinn and Patricia means the new head coach can comfortably rely on his general manager’s opinion as the coaching staff comes together rather than having to make important quick decisions after coming in cold.
Cooter earned his shot with the performance of Matthew Stafford that last two years. While the narrative surrounding Jim Caldwell’s hiring was the need to “fix” Stafford, it wasn’t until Caldwell’s original offensive coordinator, Joe Lombardi, was fired and Cooter was promoted that things really started to turn around for Stafford. Just a rise into a mediocre running game could do wonders.
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There is reason to believe the Lions could be more aggressive with Cooter not restrained by the conservative Caldwell. What happens with the Lions offense in 2018 will be one of the biggest stories to watch. While Cooter is set to return, he may not have a long leash if certain deficiencies don’t show improvement.