After 26 years in NFL coaching, Rod Marinelli is calling it a career.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the long-time assistant and former Detroit Lions head coach is planning to retire, per sources informed of the decision.
Rapoport added that Marinelli -- one of the game's most respected defensive teachers -- generated interest from clubs, but the 72-year-old is packing his bags and heading to Texas for retirement.
A long-time assistant in Tampa Bay, Marinelli finally got a shot in the head-coaching chair in Detroit in 2006. The stint went disastrously, with the Lions netting a 10-38 record in three seasons under Marinelli, including the first 0-16 season in NFL history.
Starting his career as a high school defensive coordinator in Rosemead, CA, in 1973, Marinelli leaped to college ball in 1976 as a defensive line coach at Utah State. After stints at Cal, Arizona State and USC, where he specialized in teaching defensive line play, Marinelli moved to the pros, joining Monte Kiffin in Tampa Bay in 1996.
While his head coaching stint bombed, Marinelli was long considered one of the best defensive line coaches, able to milk the most out of talent in the trenches.
Following his run in Detroit, Marinelli spent four years with the Chicago Bears, seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, and the past two years with the Las Vegas Raiders.
