The Detroit Lions have had many head coaches over the years and had hoped bringing in Matt Patricia from the Patriots organization would end that cycle. Unfortunately, Patricia was given his walking papers midway through this past season.
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Patricia finished with a 13-28-1 record in Detroit, failing to get more than six wins in any of his two and a half seasons at the helm. The next person to come into the job will have some good pieces to build around in Kenny Golladay, D’Andre Swift and Jeff Okudah.
Sportsbook
Sportsbook has released Detroit Lions head coach odds, with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh the -250 favorite to earn the job. Following him are Eric Bieniemy (+400), Marvin Lewis (+800), Arthur Smith (+1200) and Brian Daboll (+1200) to round out the top five choices on the oddsboard.
Who Will the Lions Hire as Head Coach Next?
| Option | Odds |
|---|---|
| Robert Saleh | -250 |
| Eric Bieniemy | +400 |
| Marvin Lewis | +800 |
| Arthur Smith | +1200 |
| Brian Daboll | +1200 |
| Darrell Bevell | +1200 |
| Jim Harbaugh | +1200 |
| Joe Brady | +1600 |
| Matt Eberflus | +1600 |
| Byron Leftwich | +2000 |
| Josh McDaniels | +2000 |
| Kellen Moore | +2000 |
| Kevin O’Connell | +2000 |
| Lincoln Riley | +2000 |
| Dabo Swinney | +2500 |
| Dan Mullen | +2500 |
| Leslie Frazier | +2500 |
| Matt Campbell | +2500 |
| Nick Saban | +2500 |
| Todd Bowles | +2500 |
Odds as of January 5 at Sportsbook
Robert Saleh has Best Odds to Become Lions’ Next Head Coach
Robert Saleh will be in high demand this offseason after leading a 49ers defensive unit that played with grit and heart despite a spate of injuries that derailed San Francisco’s season. A year ago, he was a big reason that the Niners defense was one of the league’s best and helped San Francisco get to the Super Bowl.
Saleh has the lowest odds at -250, representing implied odds of 71.43 percent according to our Sports Betting Calculator. The Lions tried to go with a defensive-minded coach with Patricia and that didn’t work out, but Saleh is a very vocal person and his resume speaks for itself. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Lions take one of the best coaching options on the market in Saleh.
Best Value Pick: Marvin Lewis
Marvin Lewis hasn’t coached since 2018 when he was fired by the Cincinnati Bengals after 16 seasons. According to multiple reports, the Lions have already interviewed Lewis for the head coaching vacancy. Lewis, who has also interviewed for the Houston Texans job, currently has the third-best odds at +800 to be the next Lions head coach.
Lewis made the playoffs seven times during his tenure in Cincinnati, and since his dismissal has worked with Herm Edwards as an adviser for Arizona State. One factor that could come into play with the Lions is that they are still without a general manager. So it might come down to who Lions ownership picks as the general manager to see if they should go with a young up-and-coming coach or an old savvy one like Lewis.
Long-Shot Pick: Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich is a huge long shot but has done a really solid job the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Leftwich would be a good choice because he would be able to work with Matt Stafford and the offense to get them where they need to be.
The Lions have more weapons on offense than defense, and Leftwich can always hire a good defensive coordinator to get the Lions defense shored up. In a division with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, it’s never a bad idea to have a coach who would want to put up points. Leftwich currently has +2000 odds to be the next Lions head coach, indicating he is indeed a big long shot.
