ESPN Reports That Lions Will Hire Schwartz to Replace Marinelli

For the fourth time in eight years, the Detroit Lions have a new head coach, and, shockingly, this time his name doesn't start with "M." (And another Matt Millen-ism bites the dust...) Former Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has agreed to replace Rod Marinelli, who was mercifully relieved of his duties hours after the team put the finishing touches on an 0-16 season.

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Michael Smith (via PFT), "the Lions have agreed in principle to a deal that will make Schwartz the next head coach of the Lions ... [and] it will be a four-year deal."

Sounds good to me. Schwartz has been a "young, up-and-coming coordinator" for a couple years now, and he's certainly qualified to take a crack at turning around a franchise that is in desperate need of it. Of course, Marinelli came highly recommended and Million Dollar Baby had a less depressing ending than his three-year run in Motown.

Schwartz does have the benefit of of a Millen-free front office, but the man's legacy lives on: the team is in desperate need of a quarterback, and the defense could stand a complete overhaul. The draft might be able to address the former, and Schwartz, who was very successful as a defensive coordinator during his time with the Titans, could take a hands-on approach with the latter.

Who knows, maybe Detroit is in for an Atlanta-like one-year turnaround, although history (and God's obvious hatred of the Lions) suggests otherwise.