Lions fire Marinelli after record-breaking season

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP)—Rod Marinelli might be a good head coach. He just isn’t going to find out for sure in Detroit.

Marinelli inherited a Matt Millen-created mess and compounded his problems by reuniting with some former Tampa Bay Buccaneers whose best years were in the past. The result was the NFL’s first 0-16 team and a three-year record of 10-38 for Marinelli, who was fired Monday by the Lions.

Instead of making excuses or explaining why it didn’t work out, Marinelli took the high road.

“If I’d have done better and won more games, then we’d have been fine,” he said.

Marinelli eventually raved about how hard his players practiced for him, insisting he could envision the results showing up on Sundays, but it just didn’t happen.

Especially, this year. “You can’t go 0-16 and expect to keep your job,” Marinelli said. The leaders of Detroit’s front office, though, did just that.
Lions owner William Clay Ford elevated Tom Lewand to team president and Martin Mayhew to general manager, announcing the moves in the same news release that included the decision to fire Marinelli.