When it comes to overall duties for an NFL coach, their relationship with the media is pretty low on the totem pole in terms of importance. Jim Caldwell had grown contentious with the Detroit media, but that likely had little to do with why the Detroit Lions fired him at the beginning of the calendar year. Team performance reigns supreme, while a good speaker in front of a podium plays second (or third or fourth) fiddle to overall record.
But there is something to be said about how a franchise’s head coach represents the team when placed in the public eye. Team owners don’t want to be catching headlines for the wrong reasons, and a coach’s ability to communicate with media members likely gives us at least a small insight as to how they can communicate with their players.
New Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia has now had two press conferences, and fans now have a pretty good idea of what it’s like to hear him talk about football. So today’s Question of the Day is:
Are you impressed with how Matt Patricia handles the media?
My answer: For a first-time head coach, I am very impressed with how Matt Patricia is presenting himself in front of the media. As Patricia said on Wednesday, he’s not exactly all that experienced in dealing with all this media attention, having been a defensive coordinator for much of his career.
“Not that I don’t mind enjoying standing in front of you guys all the time, which I’ve done a lot more in the last couple months than I probably have in my entire career”
For someone who has spent most of his coaching career in the shadows, I think Patricia comes off very wise and personable. He has been wearing a smile, he has been patient with repetitive questions, and he has been extremely intelligent with his answers. He may not be giving news-breaking answers, but that’s not his job, and his responses are filled with respect instead of condescension or anger.
Of course, Patricia has yet to face any hardships. It’s much easier to step in front of a podium in the middle of the offseason than it is after a heartbreaking loss or a questionable coaching decision.
Still, we’re two press conferences in, and I can’t wait for the next one. Patricia is just fun to listen to talk. He speaks a mile a minute because he has so much to say, and you feel like if you were in the same room with him for 10 minutes, you’d leave knowing more about football than you did coming in.
Your turn.