Detroit Lions News: 3 coaches to target when replacing Matt Patricia

The Detroit Lions will surely be making a coaching change before the start of next season; here are three coaches to consider hiring.

After yet another disappointing season, the end is near for head coach Matt Patricia.  The Detroit Lions are expected to be making another coaching change in the coming weeks, maybe not just a coaching change but also a managerial change.

It seems general manager Bob Quinn and Patricia go hand-in-hand.  It is one thing to be loyal to your friend and hope they do well, but this is the National Football League.  I can understand why Quinn felt Patricia deserved the third year to try and right the ship, but Quinn had an opportunity to salvage his own job by making a move as the Detroit Lions entered their bye week with a record of 1-3.

With Quinn opting to drag this out or riding until the wheels fall off, he’s as much at fault for the Lions’ downfall as Patricia.

Here are three coaches the Detroit Lions need to consider replacing Matt Patricia with next season.

Jim Harbaugh

Although Jim Harbaugh enjoyed an abundance of success with the San Francisco 49ers, he’s not a sure thing to have that same type of success with the Detroit Lions, but his NFL track record is worth consideration.

When you look at Jim’s philosophy during his time with the 49ers, it was a power run scheme on offense with the future Hall Of Famer in Frank Gore running behind a stout offensive line.  The teams’ top pass-catcher had been Michael Crabtree, a solid number two NFL receiver, but in no way, shape, or form a top option elsewhere.

Harbaugh also surrounded himself with reliable coordinators.  Vic Fangio ran the 49ers defense, and it was a stellar defense, while Greg Roman called the offense. GM Trent Baalke formulated a bully on defense, a Super Bowl-caliber defense to pair with that awesome offensive line and power rushing attack.  It had been a unit that mirrors the same style John Harbaugh currently runs in Baltimore with the Ravens, where OC Greg Roman runs the offense led by the reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson.

When you look at the current state of the Detroit Lions, it’s a team that’s building itself a solid offensive line and pairing that with a rookie running back in D’Andre Swift, who provided the organization with a potential franchise-type running back.

In that aspect, Harbaugh would have some building blocks to potentially have some success in Detroit. Still, usually, a team that wants to control the clock with a successful rushing attack needs to pair that with a stout defense, and that’s exactly the opposite of what Quinn and Patricia have built-in Detroit.  Harbaugh once considered a quarterback guru would have the opportunity to take Stafford to the next level.

During his days with both Stanford and the 49ers, Harbaugh excelled with Andrew Luck under center followed by rejuvenating Alex Smith’s career before turning the keys over to Colin Kaepernick.  Although Harbaugh has yet to find that same success with Michigan, keep in mind, he’d be inheriting an established quarterback in Detroit.

His 44-19-1 overall record justifies Harbaugh’s success in San Fransisco, but his lack of success over the last six seasons with his alma mater, the Michigan Wolverines, is certainly worrisome.

Harbaugh isn’t the best candidate Lions president Rod Wood or owner Sheila Ford Hamp could drum up, but they could certainly do worse.