The Detroit Lions had a disappointing season in 2012 after breaking their playoffs streak the season before and if Jim Schwartz doesn't improve, there is a chance he could be fired and one name that has come up as an option is Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly.
According to Pro Football Talk, Lions vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. gave the always loved "no comment" when asked about Schwartz and whether he is on the hot seat in 2013, fueling speculation that he will be canned if the team does not improve. Schwartz's teams have been known for their lenient discipline, as a number of players have been arrested over the past few years and if things keep trending this way, there is a good chance he will be fired. The Lions have been linked to Kelly in the past and now that has come up again despite the season not even starting for Schwartz.
Kelly was close to going to the Philadelphia Eagles after getting demolished by Alabama in the BCS Championship game, but he decided to stay with ND and now the Eagles have another Kelly in Chip as their new head coach. Kelly has won everywhere he has coached, but he has yet to make the NFL jump. Last season he helped Notre Dame get back to national prominence and the Eagles tried hard to get him after firing Andy Reid after the team went 4-12.
Kelly has coached at Notre Dame and the University of Cincinnati and before that he was an assistant at Grand Valley State before taking over as head coach and winning championships and then he moved to Central Michigan, where he also led the team to successful seasons. He led the Bearcats to a BCS appearance and helped resurrect the program before moving to Notre Dame.
General Manager Martin Mayhew and ford have been quiet on Schwartz, who had a great season in 2011, but regressed in 2012. He has gone 22-42 as head coach and despite signing free agent running back Reggie Bush, the two execs were non-committal on Schwartz. The Lions went 4-12 last season and despite ranking second in passing yards per game, Matthew Stafford's touchdown numbers dropped greatly and the team ranked 23rd in rushing. Without improvement this year, the Lions will likely go hard after Kelly.