Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Matt Patricia: Firing ST coach Joe Marciano a “necessary” move

Seattle Seahawks v Detroit Lions

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions on the field prior to their game against the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field on October 28, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Lions head coach Matt Patricia spoke to reporters on a conference call Tuesday and that meant he addressed Monday’s firing of special teams coordinator Joe Marciano for the first time.

Marciano was hired by the Lions when Jim Caldwell was the head coach in 2015 and Patricia kept him on board when he took over as head coach early this year. The Lions have 15 penalties on special teams this season and have been lackluster across the board in the kicking game.
“It’s never really an easy decision when you have to try to make a move in the middle of the season,” Patricia said, via the Detroit Free Press. “But just kind of taking a look at the evaluation of everything so far, from what we’ve done so far in the season and moving forward, I just thought it was the best thing right now to make that move and kind of go forward without Joe. I have a lot of respect for Joe and appreciate all his hard work and everything he’s done in the league for a long time. He’s a great man, a good person. Just thought the move was necessary.”

Special teams assistant Devin Fitzsimmons, who has been with the Lions since 2014, will take over most of Marciano’s duties. Patricia said that “a lot of coaches on staff that have coached special teams before and in the past and it’ll be a collective group effort to try to make sure that everything is handled” over the rest of the season.