The Detroit Lions have fired coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn, the team announced Saturday.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will serve as the Lions' interim coach, per an informed source.
Patricia's firing comes two days after the Lions suffered a blowout loss to the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving Day, which put the team's record at 4-7. Patricia was asked about his job security in the immediate aftermath of the loss.
"On behalf of my family, I want to thank Bob and Matt for their hard work and their dedication to the Lions organization over the past several years," Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp said during a Zoom call presser Saturday afternoon. "They're both very fine men, and we wish them nothing but the best in the rest of their careers. Obviously, this season has not gone the way we expected. We want to take the rest of this year to assess every aspect of our football operation, find the best individuals to lead and coach our team."
Ahead of the 2020 season, Lions ownership made it clear to Patricia and Quinn that the team needed to be playoff contenders this season. After losing four of their last five after Week 12, ownership materialized the writing on the wall.
Patricia amassed a 13-29-1 record in his two-plus seasons as Lions head coach. Patricia was hired by the Lions in 2018 after serving as the New England Patriots defensive coordinator for six years. Patricia succeeded Jim Caldwell, who was fired by the Lions after four seasons as coach. Caldwell had three winning seasons during his time in Detroit and made the playoffs twice.
Since Patricia's hiring, the Lions rank in the bottom 10 in scoring, total and pass defense, and they are tied for fewest takeaways (43) in the NFL since 2018. The Lions' .314 win percentage during Patricia's tenure ranked 27th in the NFL. Patricia has the worst career win percentage by any coach whose teams averaged 21-plus points per game in the Super Bowl era (minimum 40 games coached).
Quinn served as the Lions GM since 2016. The Lions were 31-43-1 during Quinn's tenure and have been sub-.500 in three straight seasons after going 9-7 in each of his first two seasons.
All five first-round picks by Quinn are still on the Lions' roster, but none of those five has ever reached a Pro Bowl or been an All-Pro. The only Pro Bowler Quinn drafted with the Lions is wide receiver Kenny Golladay, a third-round selection in 2017.
