Caldwell On Lions' GM Search: 'I Can Work With Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere'
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
Lions head coach Jim Caldwell says he doesn't know it's accurate that historically successful NFL franchises have good synchronization between the general manager and head coach.
In the wake of Detroit hiring Rod Wood as team president on Thursday, the organization's next focus will be finding that next GM, after Martin Mayhew was fired earlier in the month. Caldwell was asked Friday what qualities he thought made a successful GM, but refused to answer.
"There's no person that's got any right frame of mind, that's got good sense, that's going to make a decree on what he thinks his boss should look like, act like, think about, or anything like that," he said. "That doesn't make any sense. That's ridiculous. Again, that's my boss. I'm his subordinate and he'll come in and set the pace obviously with the vision of Mrs. Ford; it trickles down. We have people that are extremely capable of making the decision – what that person should be, who he should be, or she should be, and go from there."
Caldwell stressed that he could work with "anyone, anytime, anywhere" but denied the idea that successful NFL organizations have to have a GM and head coach who are on the same page.
"I'm not so certain that's accurate," he said, when asked about the importance of harmony between head coaching and management.
When pressed by a reporter about historically successful franchises in the NFL who have had GMs and head coaches with good working relationships, Caldwell continued: "Because I know for a fact it's not (the case) … You guys really don't know exactly what goes on. You may get tidbits or somebody ends up giving you a call or making this particular assessment, somebody's disgruntled or something of that nature, you may get tidbits of that, but for the most part, I don't think you know that to be true."
Caldwell said he and Wood talked on Thursday, but that the new president had given him no assurances about his future as head coach. Caldwell also denied that he had any interest in taking on any management responsibilities.
On Thursday, the Lions announced the establishment of an "advisory board" to find the team's next GM. That board will include owner Martha Firestone Ford, her four children and new team president Rod Wood, who previously served as president and CEO of Ford Estates.
Ford had previously stated that there would be a national search for the best possible leadership. In her statement on Thursday, Ford also said that hiring Wood as president helped expedite the search process for a new GM.
"If he's got the right mindset, it doesn't matter," Caldwell said. "If the head coach has got the right mindset, it doesn't matter. He goes in, he takes what he has to work with, he offers his opinion, he moves forward and he finds a way to win. Plain and simple, that's his job."
