So ESPN magazine used scientific data to determine who would be the next successful NFL head coach. The results surprised them as much as it will you — Marty Mornhinweg. One and the same. The same guy who took the wind and was 5-27 as head coach of the Lions.

The article explains that the majority of successful coaches have met four criteria: They were between ages of 41 and 49, they had at least 11 years of NFL coaching experience (not necessarily as the head coach), they were assistants on teams that won at least 50 games over a five-year span and they only had one previous NFL head coaching job. Lions coach Jim Schwartz meets the first three.

Pretty interesting stuff. Mornhinweg, currently the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia, fits the bill. But one of his problems in Detroit was his people skills. No data can measure that. Maybe he’s improved. Whatever ... We'll see in the next month or so if any NFL GM looking for a head coach bites on this theory.
— PAULA PASCHE