So Turkey Day was not put back into storage after Thanksgiving. The Detroit Lions kept him sharp all weekend and used him to fire head coach Steve Mariucci on Monday. This was not unexpected. The Lions’ record is 4-7, making Mariucci’s final record 15-28. It had been rumored for weeks and the team was playing lifeless, uninspired football. He also didn’t seem like a happy camper lately, though don’t feel too bad for him: His base salaries for the next two years are $5.5 million in 2006 and $6 million in 2007.
So how does this relate to sports betting? Teams can get excited and play hard for the new coach when something like this happens. Just a year ago, the Miami Dolphins fired Dave Wannstedt after a 1-8 start. In Game No. 10, the Dolphins were a 9-point dog in Seattle, but held on and got the coverage in a 24-17 loss. The game spoiled interim coach Jim Bates’ debut, but Miami held Seattle RB Shaun Alexander to 3.3 ypc, his lowest rushing yards to that point and second-lowest of the season.
In fact, the Dolphins went 3-4 SU/5-2 ATS the rest of the season under Bates after going 1-8 SU, 2-7 ATS under Wannstedt. What can sometimes happen is that the firing of a coach removes an unhappy situation. The mood of the clubhouse can change overnight, making practice and game day more enjoyable. The effort is noted.
In 1989, the Cincinnati Reds had fired underperforming manager Pete Rose after a string of second-place finishes. They brought in Lou Piniella for the 1990 season and the Reds just won the World Series! Obviously, that wouldn’t have happened with Rose. Two years earlier, the Red Sox were 9 games out at the All-Star break with a talented but underperforming team. They fired John McNamara and proceeded to go 19-1 with new manager Joe Morgan en route to winning the AL East. Last year, the Astros fired Jimy Williams midseason, then got fired up with Phil Garner and made it to the NL Championship Series. And the Marlins won the World Series in 2003 after Jack McKeon replaced Jim Fregosi.
That Miami Dolphins team from a year ago played hard for Jim Bates, winning in San Francisco the next week, losing 20-17 in Denver as a +11 dog and beating the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots, 29-28, the Monday night. It will be interesting to see how the Lions respond, if at all. Or if other coaches are let go, as there are several NFL coaches still on the bench.
Has any professional football team fired a coach mid-season with a winning record? If only one. The 1984 Patriots fired Ron Meyer with a 5-4 record and played .500 with Ray Berry, missing the playoffs. Although they did win and cover their first game with Berry. We’ll see how relieved, or hopeless, this Lions team really is.