Detroit Lions: Ranking the top 7 coaches in franchise history

7) Bobby Ross

Bobby Ross was another coach whose career was destroyed by the Lions. Much like Jim Schwartz, Ross was ‘Lionized’. Ross had always been a very solid coach who had always fielded competitive teams. Yet when Barry Sanders retired on July 27th 1999, it didn’t help Bobby’s cause.

Ross was the Lions head coach from 1997 until he quit nine games into the 2000 season. Ross had a record of 27-30 as the Lions coach. In two of the three full seasons he coaches the Lions they made the playoffs. Unfortunately, they lost both postseason appearances by double-digits.

For Bobby Ross, who stated in his postgame press conference after a poor showing against the Philadelphia Eagles, ‘you think I coach that stuff? I don’t coach that stuff.’ It was the beginning of the end.

Ross came to Detroit after a successful stint in San Diego where he led the Chargers to their only Super Bowl appearance in 1995. He was a good coach who was destroyed by a franchise that eats coaches up and spits them out.