by BetCRIS - 12/02/2005
It officially happened on Monday; head coach of the Detroit Lions, Steve Mariucci and a few assistant coaches were fired from the team. In nearly three seasons with the Lions, Mariucci could only manage 15 wins while in Detroit with a team that is supposedly stacked with young talent on offense.
The Lions have won only one playoff since winning the NFL title in 1957. The only question that remains now is who does Matt Millen and the Detroit Lions front office replace Steve Mariucci with in hopes that they can finally lead the underachieving team to the Super Bowl?
Executives at BetCRIS Sportsbook posted odds on who will be the coach for the Detroit Lions to start the 2006 NFL season:
DETROIT LIONS HEAD COACH FOR THE 2006 SEASON:
-- DICK JAURON (INTERIM COACH, DETROIT)
2 to 1
-- MIKE MARTZ (ST.LOUIS)
8 to 1
-- BRIAN BILLICK (BALTIMORE)
8 to 1
-- NORV TURNER (OAKLAND)
8 to 1
-- JIM BATES (DEF. COORDINATOR, GREEN BAY)
8 to 1
-- TIM LEWIS (DEF. COORDINATOR, NY GIANTS)
8 to 1
-- BOB BRATKOWSKI (OFF. COORDINATOR, CINCINNATI)
8 to 1
-- DONNIE HENDERSON (DEF. COORDINATOR, JETS)
8 to 1
-- RUSS GRIMM (OFF. LINE COACH, PITT)
8 to 1
-- JIM SCHWARTZ (DEF. COORDINATOR, TENNESSEE)
8 to 1
-- SEAN PAYTON (ASST. HEAD COACH, DALLAS)
8 to 1
-- GREGG WILLIAMS (DEF. COORDINATOR, WASH)
8 to 1
-- AL SAUNDERS (OFF. COORDINATOR, KANSAS CITY)
8 to 1
-- NONE OF THE ABOVE
3.5 to 1
"The Lions are in desperate need of a drastic change to their team," said Mickey Richardson, CEO of BetCRIS. "Even when they had hall of famer Barry Sanders in the backfield they struggled. It's time that the Lions find a coach that can finally motivate all of the talent they have drafted in the past few years."
More odds on the Detroit Lions and this year's NFL season can be found at BetCRIS.