Lions Hire TV's Matt Millen
P O N T I A C, Mich., Jan. 9 -- Former NFL linebacker and TV commentatorMatt Millen has been hired as president and CEO of the DetroitLions.
“We’ve been … pretty much stuck on dead center for quite a few years,” team owner William Clay Ford said today. “Matt offers us an opportunity to move ahead.”
The 42-year-old Millen has been an NFL analyst for Fox Sportssince 1994 and worked for CBS the two previous years. He also isthe No. 1 analyst for CBS Radio Sports’ NFL broadcasts.
“They’ve instilled their faith in me, and I’ll make them a promise … I’ll give them everything I got,” Millen said. “I’m all about work.”
Gary Moeller Stays on as Coach
The organization was interested in hiring Millen two years ago,but he asked to be removed from consideration.
There had been speculation Millen would want to bring his owncoach rather than keep Gary Moeller, but Millen said today thatMoeller will stay on as coach.
The former Penn State standout was an NFL linebacker from1980-91 with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, the San Francisco49ers and the Washington Redskins. He went to the Super Bowl fourtimes.
Detroit has not won a championship since 1957, and has won justone playoff game since then.
The 2000 season was a turbulent one for Detroit. Bobby Rossresigned midway through the season and was replaced with Moeller, aformer head coach at Michigan.
The Lions finished 9-7, missing a spot in the playoffs with a23-20 loss to Chicago.
