Jim Caldwell releases statement after being fired as Detroit Lions head coach

The Detroit Lions fired head coach Jim Caldwell on Monday morning, and while we heard from general manager Bob Quinn in a 20-minute press conference later in the afternoon, Caldwell did not address the media.

However, late on Monday night, the former Lions coach released a statement. As expected, it’s nothing but class from Caldwell:

“My wife Cheryl and I greatly appreciate the tremendous opportunity to have been a part of the Lions organization serving as head coach for the past 4 years. We offer our sincere gratitude to Martha Ford, the Ford family and the entire Detroit organization for an abundance of confidence and encouragement during our time with the team. I am blessed to have had successful years as a member of the Lions’ organization, and I would be remiss if I did not recognize the great effort put forth by our players and coaching staff who poured their hearts out in an effort to maintain the standard of excellence this organization has grown to expect. I wish the Lions, my coaching staff, our players and the loyal Lions fans, who were very supportive, much continued success in the future.”

We wish Caldwell all the success in whatever he decides to do next. He helped the Lions gain a level of respectability and undoubtedly made some of his players better athletes and better men.