Lions fire Donnie Henderson & Larry Beightol, Priefer "retires"

[Glenn]

Yet Millen remains.

Can you imagine these guys sitting down at a meeting table and having Millen tell them they are fired?

How could you not laugh?

(Marinelli probably was the one to tell them)

http://www.wkrn.com/nashville/news/a...ator/68835.htm

Lions Fire Defensive Coordinator

ALLEN PARK, Mich.

The Detroit Lions fired defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson and offensive line coach Larry Beightol on Tuesday, two days after finishing a 3-13 season.

Lions coach Rod Marinelli announced the decisions at his final weekly press conference of the season.

"Donnie Henderson is very close to me, and it was a very difficult decision," Marinelli said. "It was more about systems than anything else. With Coach Beightol, I just felt like we needed to make a change at this time."

Marinelli also announced that longtime special teams coach Chuck Priefer had announced his retirement.

Priefer will be replaced by his assistant, Stan Kwan, and will work with the organization in an undetermined role.

[WTFchris]

I don't have a problem with Henderson going. His style did not match Rod's and Rod knows his ass is on the line along with Millen's.

However, how did Cullen survive the axe?

[JickBoy34]

blah blah..lions sucks...blah blah blah...millen is still here....blah blah...3-3

[darkobetterthanmelo]

Ill bet all my Alpacas its Joe Barry

[Zekyl]

I swear I read somewhere that Joe Barry's dad was the O-Line coach and I was very much confused. Maybe it was assistant O-Line coach. I feel a bit bad for Beightol. Not many people could have done any good with that poor excuse for an offensive line.

[WTFchris]

yes, Barry's did was the ast OL coach. and yes, it will be Barry.

[Zekyl]

Well, lets see what he can do? Anyone know anything about him/have any opinions on him or his days in Tampa?

[WTFchris]

Barry brings knowledge of Tampa Two
New defensive coordinator, 36, says despite his youth he's ready to make mark in Detroit.
Mike O'Hara / The Detroit News

ALLEN PARK -- The Lions are putting their Tampa Two defense in the hands of their Tampa Twosome -- head coach Rod Marinelli and Joe Barry, his son-in-law and new defensive coordinator.
Marinelli acted quickly -- but not unexpectedly -- in filling the position that became vacant when Donnie Henderson was fired Monday after one season as defensive coordinator.
Barry was hired Wednesday. Marinelli and Barry were assistants together on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' staff from 2001-05. Marinelli coached the defensive line, and Barry coached linebackers on a defense first installed by former Bucs coach Tony Dungy that has popularized the Tampa Two concept.
Marinelli and Henderson had a long-term friendship, but Henderson did not have a background in the Tampa Two, an aggressive, swarming defense.
Barry learned it as a coach with the Bucs.
"It's a certain way you have to do this thing, the execution of it, the details of it," Marinelli said Wednesday. "It's a different way. It's the way I've been brought up in this profession."
Barry, 36, is married to Chris, one of Marinelli's two daughters. Marinelli stressed that he hired Barry because of his coaching expertise, not their family relationship, but it certainly didn't hurt Barry's chances.
Marinelli tried to hire Barry last season, but Bucs management would not let him out of the final year of his contract. The Green Bay Packers also approached Barry about being defensive coordinator, but the Bucs would not let him leave.
Barry harbored no ill feelings toward the Bucs, but he would not extend his contract in Tampa. Barry's advancement was blocked in Tampa, where Monte Kiffin is established as defensive coordinator.
"I signed a contract in Tampa Bay," Barry said. "I think I, as a man, had to take responsibility for that."
Barry played linebacker at Michigan in 1989-90, then transferred to Southern California. He was a college assistant at USC, Northern Arizona and Nevada-Las Vegas before going to the NFL in 2000 as a quality-control coach in San Francisco.
Barry had to face two issues -- his relative youth (36) and his relationship with Marinelli -- and he did not duck either one.
"I'm going to throw this out just before you guys ask me," Barry said. "Are you ready for this? Yes. I've been preparing for it my entire life. I always dreamed of being a coach. I always dreamed about being a defensive coordinator.
"I believe, whether you're a coordinator or an assistant, you have to believe in your head coach. You have to believe in what he stands for. I do wholeheartedly in Coach Marinelli.
"We do have an unbelievable relationship. When we walk out of the building, we are family."
Barry said he will have to learn more about the Lions' players. He had high marks for some of them, based on previous evaluations.
He especially was high on defensive tackles Shaun Rogers and Cory Redding.
"They're both dominating defensive linemen," Barry said. "That's what you have to have in this package. I loved Ernie Sims coming out of Florida State last year. Boss Bailey, the same thing. I was at his pro workout (in 2003). I know what he can do. Kenoy Kennedy -- great safety. You've got to have a hammer in this package. I think the base is there.
"I'm very demanding. I know how the system works. I know how the package works.
"I know how it needs to get going."

[WTFchris]

Well, lets see what he can do? Anyone know anything about him/have any opinions on him or his days in Tampa?

Well, going off the article above, and the success he had in tampa (made Brooks, Shelton Quarrals and forget the other guy...into a great LB corp) with their LB's...he might do a good job. If Rod can get Kalimba do learn a couple moves instead of just speed rushing, and Barry can get Bailey to live up to his potential...we may be alright. When I say alright I mean not a complete sive on defense.

[H1Man]

I understand why they fired Henderson but why fire Beightol?

He is one of the better OLine coaches in the NFL and I don't know if anyone could've done a better job than he did given the players we have.