NFL: Wake Up Detroit Lion's Fans, It's Mornhinweg Time

After long interviews with a couple of candidates, no interviews with coaches who were candidates but already hired by another team, and not waiting till after the Super Bowl to interview, Matt Millen has found the man he wants to lead the Detroit Lions, Marty Mornhinweg.

During the search, I learned alot about Matt Millen. I really don't think he handled the situation with the former coach Gary Moeller very well. Sure, he interviewed Moeller, but how can you interview a person for a job he supposedly already has? Millen should have just let him know from the start about his intentions and maybe even fired Moeller. Millen seems to be lacking in people skills in this area.

Having said all that, I think the way he handled the rest of the whole ordeal was fantastic. The part I liked the best is that he did not do what William Clay Ford Sr., the owner, wanted, which was keep Moeller for another year. Millen did not want Moeller, the players would have sensed this, which would have made for another wasted year for the Lions and another job search for a coach. Now, the Lions have a coach that Millen wanted, and the players know he will be here for more than just the next year. The Lions need a fresh start all around. The coaching staff will be able to evaluate the good and the bad players without any preconceived notions of their past dealings with them.

Furthermore, Morhninweg seems to be the wave of the next coaches to come into the NFL. He is young, offensive minded, energetic, and will deal with the players on a level they can understand, since he is not much older than any of them. He reminds me alot of John Gruden of the Oakland Raiders.

Mornhinweg's experience is very impressive. I did not know too much about him, but have learned much more in the past 24 hours. The San Francisco 49ers offense was fantastic last year, ranked fourth in passing and total offense. Mornhinweg made Jeff Garcia a household name for a fantasy football geek. He worked with Mike Holmgren at Green Bay when they were at their peak. Also, working with Steve Mariucci at Green Bay and San Francisco will help him immensely in stepping into the head coaching position at Detroit.

The Lions were not really that bad on defense last year. But the offense was so terrible, that they were lucky to even be in the running for a playoff spot. Since Mornhinweg is now in Michigan, this so-called west coast offense will become the Great Lakes offense. The fans in Detroit are itching for a winner, not just a playoff team, but a genuine Super Bowl winner. Mornhinweg brought this up in his press conference, and I hope he means it.

I really don't think Millen would have hired Morhinweg if he didn't think he could handle the job. Millen put him through the ringer in the interview process and decided he was the right guy for the job, no matter what the Ford's wanted.

I'm glad the Ford's are sticking to their commitment to Millen to let him run the football team. The next few years will tell if this arrangement with Millen and his ability to choose personnel works. Personally, I like what the Fords have done and what Millen is trying to do with the Lions. I am very excited for the next NFL season and what it may bring to Detroit and their fans.