With the Titans losing to the Ravens on Saturday, Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz can now accept job offers from other teams. This is important because it means the Lions' search for a head coach could be coming to an end sometime this week.
The Lions interviewed Schwartz on January 3, and they plan on having a second meeting with him today. The difference this time is that Schwartz will meet with Lions owner William Clay Ford, who was not at the first interview. Whether or not this means that an official offer is on its way is unknown, but it does mean that Schwartz is one of the top candidates for the job.
Speculation does seem to suggest that an offer could be extended at today's meeting if things go well. According to Pro Football Talk, the Titans are already starting to plan for a future without Schwartz, as they believe he is leaving. Also, John Niyo of the Detroit News mentioned an interesting connection between Schwartz and Phil Savage and James Harris, who were both reportedly contacted about joining the Lions front office. Schwartz has worked with both Savage (Cleveland) and Harris (Baltimore) before, so maybe this is a sign of a reunion in Detroit.
My feeling is that if something is going to happen with Schwartz, it will happen during that meeting with William Clay Ford today. Obviously if Schwartz leaves Detroit and the Lions still don't have a head coach, that doesn't mean he won't be hired at a later date. With the Giants now out of the playoffs, the Lions are reportedly interested in bringing in Steve Spagnuolo for a second interview as well. That could extend the process a few days, as the Lions may want to meet with both Schwartz and Spagnuolo one more time each before making a decision on who should be offered the job.
As it stands right now, it appears that Schwartz and Spagnuolo are the top two candidates. I am happy with that, as the Lions need to get better defensively. What better way of doing that than hiring one of the league's top defensive coordinators? As they say, defense wins championships. Just look at three out of the four teams left in the playoffs. Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh all have outstanding defenses, and at least one of those three teams will be in the Super Bowl. If the Eagles beat Arizona, then a truly defensive Super Bowl would be set up.
Anyways, stay tuned to Pride of Detroit for the latest news regarding the Lions' coaching search as it breaks. One way or another, we should get a better idea of what is going to happen with the Lions' search for a head coach today, and we may even have a new head coach if things go really well with Schwartz.