http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf...se_for_li.html
Jim Schwartz makes case for Lions' coaching job
by Tom Kowalski Monday January 12, 2009, 11:30 PM
Jim Schwartz
ALLEN PARK -- After making his case to the media to be the Detroit Lions' next coach, Jim Schwartz needed to convince an audience of one: Lions owner William Clay Ford.
Schwartz, who is the first candidate to take part in a second interview with the Lions, said he was scheduled to meet with Ford after his news conference Monday at the team's practice facility.
According to an NFL.com report, Detroit is expected to interview San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera on Tuesday and also might hold second interviews with New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Miami Dolphins assistant head coach Todd Bowles, who also serves as the Dolphins' secondary coach.
Schwartz, 42, has spent 16 years in the NFL, the past eight years as Tennessee's defensive coordinator. He stressed his experience in working under such head coaches as Bill Belichick and Jeff Fisher.
"When you build a team in the NFC North, you've got to be built for January football, for December football," Schwartz said. "You've got to be big and strong and be able to run and stop the run. You're going to play an important game in Green Bay in December, or you're going to play an important game in Chicago in January, or in the Meadowlands. I think you need to be built that way."
Schwartz was with the Titans when Tennessee beat the Lions 47-7 on Thanksgiving Day. When asked what he thought about the Lions' roster, he said: "Obviously, some holes in the roster."
The Lions, who were 0-16 last season, have the first overall pick in the draft.
"The most important position on the team is quarterback, and it's probably time to find a replacement for Bobby Layne," said Schwartz, referring to Detroit's Hall of Fame quarterback from the 1950s. "Quarterback is the trump card of all positions in the NFL. If you've got a great quarterback, you can cover up a lot of other areas on your team. If you don't have a great quarterback, you've got to be really good in a lot of other areas."
Schwartz said if the Lions select a quarterback with that first overall pick -- or any player -- there would be no timetable on when that player might become a starter.
Schwartz's Titans have endured a quarterback controversy with young quarterback Vince Young having his struggles on and off the field and eventually being replaced by veteran Kerry Collins.
"It's hard to be a rookie and start at quarterback in the NFL," Schwartz said. "The biggest thing is that no two quarterbacks are alike. There are some who are ready to play right away and others that aren't. People always ask, when there's a young quarterback, do you play him right away or do you sit him on the bench. The answer is, it depends."
Two NFL teams, the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins, made drastic turnarounds after dismal seasons last year. Schwartz was careful not to predict too much of a rebound from the Lions' 0-16 season.
"You can't look too far ahead with that," he said. "The message to my team every year when we start training camp is that we have to get better every single day.
The most important thing is this next practice, the most important thing is this next meeting. Every year, we see quotes coming from other teams about the Super Bowl and it's training camp. The way you take care of that is get better in training camp and keep your eye on that. The end will take care of itself.
"The same thing applies if you talk about a quick turnaround, it's probably not going to happen. If you talk about getting better every single day, then you have a chance to be there."