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Teryl Austin is headed to Cincinnati to become the Bengals' defensive coordinator -- and for the Detroit Lions, that is another indication the franchise has either made a decision on its new head coach or it has a very strong idea which way it is leaning. Austin, the Lions' defensive coordinator for the past four seasons, was one of six men to interview for the job opening created when Jim Caldwell was fired Jan. 1. Austin actually was the first candidate to interview for the gig -- and it's the fourth straight offseason he has had at least one head-coaching interview. But it always seemed unrealistic that Austin would land the job with the Lions, because general manager Bob Quinn wanted to change the voice at the top of the coaching staff; and while Austin's voice would be new, it also is from the same coaching staff. Austin never seemed like a real fit. Austin's departure indicates the Lions are likely to hire a defensive head coach, since Detroit would likely have blocked Austin from interviewing with other teams in case an offense-based coach was brought in and wanted to chat with Austin. Two offensive coaches have been interviewed thus far: Minnesota offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. So that would leave three or four candidates, depending on whether Carolina assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Steve Wilks chooses to interview with Detroit this week. Winston Moss, Mike Vrabel and Matt Patricia are the other three coaches who interviewed with the Lions last week. If Detroit decides on Moss (assistant head coach/linebackers coach for Green Bay) or Vrabel (defensive coordinator for Houston), the announcement could come at any time. The longer the Lions wait -- and the speculation has been pretty high throughout -- the more it would seem Patricia is the guy; NFL rules dictate Detroit can't hire the New England defensive coordinator until the Patriots' playoff run is over. Patricia also interviewed with the Giants, so if the New York hires another head coach, that would also indicate that Patricia is the choice. Pro Football Talk reported Saturday that the Patriots are "bracing" for Patricia to leave New England. Patricia has long been a favorite in the Lions' search. When Quinn was hired in 2016 after working with the Patriots, he said he thought both Patricia and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels were ready to become head coaches. When Quinn spoke after firing Caldwell, he said that a familiarity and a working relationship with a new hire could be "a factor," and of the candidates interviewed that were not in-house personnel, Quinn likely has the most familiarity with Patricia. Quinn also knows a bit about Mike Vrabel, as he was a linebacker for New England when Quinn worked for the Patriots. What this all really means for the Lions is that they might be waiting a while to hire their new head coach if Patricia is the guy -- since New England is the top seed in the AFC.
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