Coaching Searches In Detroit Not Always On The Up-And-Up

Lions president Matt Millen says he will be a good boy this time and not hire his next head coach impetuously. He will not become enamored with the next man after one dinner and a late night film session (Marty Mornhinweg), and he will not become starry-eyed by a misleading won/lost record (Steve Mariucci). He promises to take his time and weigh all his options.

Head coaching searches are never ironclad in terms of guaranteed to be successful, of course. Sometimes all you can do is pick from your gut and hope. It's how people are hired in the real world everyday. It's easy to be fooled in interviews, as an employer. I've been fooled, and more than once.

But Matt Millen is supposedly going to be doing the kind of due diligence that is hardly done when you're hiring an $8/hour stock boy, or even a $15/hour sales assistant. He has described his sojourn for the next coach as him being "practically patient," whatever that means. After observing his first two whiffs, I'd say if he waited 30 minutes to make a decision he'd be "practically patient."

If you hang around the Detroit sports scene for as long as I have -- 35 years and counting -- you're bound to see and hear about things. And when it comes to choosing coaches in this town, two incidents come to mind: one I was told about, and one I read about.

The late Mark "Doc" Andrews, one of Dick Purtan's radio chuckleheads, was also a very accomplished sports announcer, both of the public address and play-by-play varieties. For years he hung around the Pistons, going back to their days at Cobo Arena. For a time he was Mason before there was Mason, announcing baskets and fouls and phony attendance figures at Cobo. Then he was the Pistons' radio guy.

In 1978, once the Pistons decided that a new coach was needed to replace GM Bob Kauffman, who was moonlighting on the sidelines, the local ink-stained wretches and TV blabbermouths started pumping for former U-D coach Dick Vitale. Of course, that's exactly what Vitale wanted them to do, because he had several months prior launched a campaign to be the next Pistons coach -- whispering his intentions into their ears. They, in turn, became his own personal marketing and sales team. Only they didn't know it.

Anyhow, Andrews told me years ago a story that proved how much owner Bill Davidson was taking the bait that Dickie Vitale was selling -- hook, line and sinker.

"Davidson was presented a list with possible candidates," Doc told me. "The list didn't include Vitale. Davidson said, 'That's not the right list. I don't like that list. Show me another.'"

Several days later, the very same list was presented to Davidson -- with Vitale's name added to it. It was the only change. The list was presented as such to prove something: that Bill Davidson wanted Dickie Vitale as much as Dickie V. wanted the Pistons.

When he saw the "new" list with Vitale's name added, Davidson said, "That's a much better list."

Dickie Vitale would get hired, talk nonstop about "Piston Paradise" and the team being "ReVitaleized", trade away draft picks like they were bubble gum cards, and systematically ruin one franchise while boosting another to championship heights (read: Boston Celtics, enabling them to acquire Robert Parish and Kevin McHale), then fired, all within 18 months.

And Bill Davidson never got his money back. Maybe he didn't keep his receipt.


Vitale (left) should never have been hired by Pistons;
Lloyd (right) should never have been disregarded


The other incident also involved the Pistons, but I read about this one.

Jerry Green, in his wonderful book "The Detroit Pistons: Capturing A Remarkable Era," wrote of a deep snub that was heinous in its occurrence and shameful in its lack of reporting.

Earl Lloyd, a former Piston player, was working in the team's front office in 1964 when he was approached by the team's general manager, Don Wattrick. The Pistons were at the time coming apart at the seams, as usual. They were looking for a new coach -- as usual. Earl Lloyd was experienced, qualified, and very wise to the ways of the NBA. He was also African-American.

"You'd be the answer to all my problems," Wattrick told Earl Lloyd, "if only you weren't black."

That racial snub went unreported, unchallenged. The civil rights movement hadn't gained enough momentum, apparently, in 1964.

So Matt Millen marches his candidates in and out of Detroit. He even travels, when he has to, going to Denver reportedly to chat with Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. He is going to take his time this go around.

He might be working the count, but he still has two strikes against him.