Martin Mayhew starts the year by meeting Candidate No. 1 for head coach of the Detroit Lions.
Jim Caldwell, offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, isn't necessarily the top contender -- just the first interviewee since Jim Schwartz was canned Monday.
The 58-year-old on Friday visited Mayhew, executive vice president of football operations and general manager. Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News fills in the applicant's background:
Caldwell coached Peyton Manning as quarterbacks coach in Indianapolis from 2002-08 and from 2009-11 as head coach. Caldwell lost in the Super Bowl in his first season as head coach, but was fired after a 2-14 finish in 2011, a season in which Manning missed the entire season.
Baltimore hired Caldwell in 2012 as quarterbacks coach, and he was promoted to offensive coordinator that December after the Ravens fired Cam Cameron. The Ravens won the Super Bowl last year, and [Joe] Flacco threw 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the postseason.
At the Lions' website, Caldwell talks with team publicist senior writer Tim Twentyman about his coaching philosophy:
"You have to look at what wins. That’s the important thing. You have to be very good in terms of your fundamentals and techniques ruling the day. Those are the things that are going to carry you when times are difficult. Those are the things that are going to put streaks together. Those are the things that certainly will help you win games and get you enough games to get you into the postseason.
"When you look at it, that’s what it boils down to. The basics and the rudiment of it all is to make certain you’re very good at the things you have to do most often -- you block, tackle, catch run and throw accurately."
The team will "interview a number of other candidates for their head coaching position in the coming days, including assistants on current playoff teams," Twentyman writes.
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