2009 Detroit Lions season
| 2009 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Jim Schwartz |
| General manager | Martin Mayhew |
| Owner | William Clay Ford, Sr. |
| Home field | Ford Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 2–14 |
| Division place | 4th NFC North |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | none |
The 2009 Detroit Lions season was the franchise’s eightieth season overall in the National Football League. It was the first season with the Lions for new head coach Jim Schwartz, and most of his new coaching staff. The Lions also introduced slightly new uniforms and logos. The Lions spent the whole season at the bottom of their division and finished at 2–14, the second-worst record during the 2009 season. Pro Football Reference has argued that, owing to a weaker programme featuring the NFC West and AFC North vis-à-vis their 2008 schedule against surprisingly strong NFC South and AFC South divisions, the 2009 Lions were actually a weaker team than the 0–16 2008 Lions.
On December 29, 2008, the day after the last game of the 0–16 2008 season, Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford, Sr. announced head coach Rod Marinelli had been fired. His record with the Lions was 10–38 in three seasons.
He also announced:
The Lions officially unveiled a somewhat new logo design and uniforms on April 20, 2009 at a public press conference at a local Dunham's Sports store. The Lion on the helmet now has a flowing mane and fangs, and the font of “Lions” is more modern and stylish.
The Lions’ throwback uniforms that were used in 2008 became their official third uniform, however they were not used in 2009. The black jerseys used from 2005–2007 were officially discontinued on February 9, 2009, according to Lions team president Tom Lewand.
On March 1, 2009 it was reported that free agent defensive end Corey Smith (who played for the Lions from 2006–2008) boarded a fishing boat off the Gulf Coast of Florida with former teammate Marquis Cooper (most recently of the Oakland Raiders) and former University of South Florida players Nick Schuyler and William Blakely on February 28. Smith and Cooper played together on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. They did not return as expected and the men and their boat were searched for by the U.S. Coast Guard for three days. The National Weather Service said waves were about two to four feet Saturday morning and increased to between three and five feet in the afternoon. Late Saturday night, a small craft advisory was issued, when winds were around twenty knots and waves were up to seven feet or more. On March 2, at approximately 1:30 pm, Coast Guard Petty Official James Harless reported that Schuyler had been found alive "clinging to an overturned vessel". He was later diagnosed with hypothermia and dehydration. On March 3, the Coast Guard called off the search. Later that day, the Lions released this statement:
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