Notes: Lions dominate list of worst NFL coaching hires in last century

Trigger warning: the following article may induce feelings of nausea or invoke day-ruining memories.

With Dan Campbell, it may be tough to remember the days the Detroit Lions didn’t have it so good.

No worries, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin did it for you as he names his top 25 worst NFL coaching hires this century . Perhaps unsurprisingly, three former Lions coaches made the list—more than any other team.

Coming in at No. 10: Rod Marinelli, who famously made history as the coach of the first team to go 0-16.

“Anytime you literally go winless, there’s plenty of blame to go around, and Detroit faithful surely pin much of it on former president and CEO Matt Millen, who oversaw the construction of the long-lowly Lions,” Benjamin writes. “Marinelli was the man on the sidelines, though, and not even his specialty — defense — looked even remotely special as Motown endured one blowout after another.”

Next up at No. 9: rocket scientist Matt Patricia.

It’s safe to say the “Midwestern Patriots” experiment did not go well, as Patricia and ex-GM Bob Quinn attempted to recreate the magic that sent New England to the Super Bowl time and time again here in Detroit.

One example in particular—Patricia constructed a hill at the Lions’ practice facility modeled after one the Patriots used in training. Players were instructed to run a series of wind sprints. I found an article from around that time where former defensive back Tracy Walker told reporters : “Honestly, I don’t even want to look at that hill no more.”

Some feel that the players’ experience with Patricia, who notably had some issues connecting with his team, may have made them extra appreciative of Campbell’s own experiences as a player himself—MCDC winning respect early on as he completed 40 up-downs with the squad during training camp his first year as head coach. (And every year since, I believe.)

Finally, coming in at No. 7: Marty Mornhinweg.

“Marty was a trusted offensive voice for icons like Andy Reid, Mike Holmgren and Steve Mariucci, but some of those roles may have been refined thanks to the embarrassment of his time in Detroit,” Benjamin writes. “The Lions are ultra-aggressive under Dan Campbell these days, which is a stark contrast to the time Mornhinweg literally opted to kick the ball to his opponent in sudden-death overtime in 2002.”

I’m sure you have some thoughts. Grabbing some popcorn for the comment section on this one.

And onto the rest of your notes.

• Our very own Ryan Mathews joined “Talking Grit” to relive some of his favorite moments from the Dan Campbell era:

• The latest installment of Tim Twentyman’s training camp preview series:

• This bodes well for us, bad for anyone lining up across from rookie offensive lineman Tate Ratledge. #GRIT

• Jahmyr Gibbs placed third in NFL.com’s Maurice Jones-Drew’s ranking of the league’s starting running backs . “His best days are still ahead.”

• Bubbles the Blind Beagle and Friends, a non-profit dedicated to preventing bullying and promoting disabled pets, spent some time with the Lions, posing for sweet pics.