Lions haven't made any changes to coaching staff just yet

"Black Monday" is in full gear right now, as several NFL coaches have already been fired. More changes are likely to be made before the day is over, as the coaching carousel is really only getting started.

At least for now, the Detroit Lions aren't taking part in the coaching carousel. Head coach Jim Schwartz held his end-of-year press conference on Monday morning, and he confirmed that there have been no changes to the coaching staff just yet. He also confirmed that some of his assistants are under contract for next season and some aren't, according to Dave Birkett.

One thing Schwartz did not confirm is whether or not he is returning next season. Considering he is still the head coach right now and seems to be operating under the assumption that he will continue to be the head coach, one would assume he is being retained. On the flip side, Schwartz declined to comment on whether the Lions have already informed him about his status for next season, so perhaps that determination hasn't been made quite yet.

In any case, there are expected to be changes made to the coaching staff even if Schwartz does return. He is well aware of this given how rough the 2012 season was for the Lions.

Schwartz: "We’re coming off a 4-12 season. Part of the NFL is that’s not good enough. ... There’s going to have to be changes"

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) December 31, 2012

The big question is this: How big will those changes be? My personal expectation is for some assistants and maybe special teams coordinator Danny Crossman to be let go. If it's Schwartz's call, I fully expect both Scott Linehan and Gunther Cunningham to return. It may not be totally up to him, though, so that could be the opening for some larger changes to the staff.

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