Next Detroit Lions coach must capitalize on window to win now

The most important action Bob Quinn took Monday wasn’t firing Jim Caldwell.

But by letting go of Caldwell, the most important thing Quinn did was raise the level of expectations for a Detroit Lions franchise that has been mostly mediocre — and often much less — for generations.

Now, as Quinn begins the process of sifting through coaching candidates and convincing some of them he’s open to hiring someone other than his old friend Matt Patricia, it’s clear he and the Lions believe their window to win is now, and the next Lions coach must capitalize on the opportunity.

Caldwell had four fine seasons in Detroit.

He led the Lions to two playoff appearances, three winning seasons and a 36-28 regular-season record.

But after watching this season unfold, and seeing the Lions lose three of their final six games with two dreadful performances in December, Quinn came to the only conclusion he could: Caldwell wasn’t the right man to lead the Lions to sustained postseason success.

The Lions are at an important point in franchise history.

They just locked up maybe the best quarterback the organization has ever seen, while in the prime of his career, for another five seasons, and Quinn has the roster positioned well for the future.

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It’s not a Super Bowl-ready team, but with Matthew Stafford under center, a deep group of receivers to throw to, two cornerstones in the secondary and a more talented offensive line than they showed this year, the Lions aren’t in rebuild mode.

They need upgrades, especially on the defensive line and in the running game.

But whoever replaces Caldwell as coach will inherit a much different program than the one Caldwell took over four years ago.

The Lions have a five-year window to win now that coincides with Stafford’s $135 million contract.

When Stafford’s deal expires, he’ll be entering his age 35 season and on the backside of his career.

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If the Lions still haven’t achieved postseason success by then, it’s not hard to envision this franchise moving in a different direction. That means a new coach, and possibly a new GM and quarterback, too.

If the Lions knock the dust of their postseason resume sometime in the next few years, then quarterback, coach and GM will run this town together for a long time to come.

To this point in his career, Stafford has been good enough to see two coaches get fired, Caldwell and Jim Schwartz.

That’s not a knock on him, and that’s not to insinuate their unemployment is his fault. But in the NFL, good quarterbacks stick around to see good coaches and GMs get fired, while great quarterbacks — or good quarterbacks surrounded by great men in the organizational hierarchy — win together.

Quinn and the Lions put their faith in Stafford by signing him to the richest contract in NFL history in August, and now Quinn has gone a step further by starting a search for a new coach he hopes can take this franchise to heights not seen in the past 60 years.

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Defensive coordinators Matt Patricia of the New England Patriots, Mike Vrabel of the Houston Texans and Steve Wilks of the Carolina Panthers and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur of the Minnesota Vikings are the early names to emerge as favorites for the job, though there will be others who merit interviews.

The Lions' coaching job is one of the better ones available this hiring cycle because of Stafford's presence, the talent around him and mostly patient ownership.

Quinn has to hit a home run with this hire and find someone who can succeed now and succeed big. He has satisfactorily raised expectation levels after two seasons in Detroit and with one strong move early Monday morning.

Now, he must find a coach who can take advantage of the Lions' immediate window to win.

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Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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