Jim Schwartz, Marinelli's replacement, is new-school. He is known for using statistical analysis in his preparation. He talks about being multidimensional, molding his scheme to his players' strengths. Lions fans can only hope he has what it takes to rebuild the franchise.

"There's no better feeling in football than turning a situation around," Schwartz said. "That's what drives me here."

Schwartz spent the past eight years as Tennessee's defensive coordinator and built one of the NFL's top defenses. After they lost in the playoffs and before he left for Detroit, he left his players a note.

"The note I left the players was, 'One day we're going to hold the Lombardi Trophy, and it will be that much sweeter because of this loss and the perspective that this loss gives us,'" Schwartz said. "And I think the same thing applies here.

"Our success will be so much sweeter here because of 0-16 and because of the past."

Schwartz talked about taking "baby steps" toward a turnaround and made an interesting analogy.

"It's a little bit like me at the end of the season," Schwartz said. "I don't exercise at the end of the season, and I eat poorly, and I stay up late, and I gain about 20 pounds.

"What I do when the season's over is, I get on the treadmill and I spend about 15 minutes, and I'm so exhausted, I wipe myself off and maybe eat a little bit less that day."

Then he does it the next day. And the next day. And the next day.

"At the end of maybe six months, I'll have lost that 20 pounds," Schwartz said. "If I tried to lose it all at one time -- to lose it all in a week with some fad diet -- I'll gain it right back.

"And I think when you talk about changing culture, when you talk about improving the team, my mantra is going to be, it's going to have to be a daily thing. It's going to have to be, let's get better today. Let's not worry about what's going to happen a month from now."

The Lions already have been the biggest losers, though. Can Schwartz turn them into winners?

Schwartz, 42, has an economics degree from Georgetown, where he was an All-America linebacker.

He broke into the NFL as a scout with Cleveland in 1993-95, working with executive Scott Pioli and coach Bill Belichick. After three years as a defensive assistant in Baltimore, he climbed the ladder under coach Jeff Fisher in Tennessee - from defensive assistant in 1999, to linebackers coach in 2000, to defensive coordinator in 2001.

"He's been in a winning organization," Lions left guard Edwin Mulitalo said. "I think that's huge. Being under Jeff Fisher and being groomed in that aspect and then finally obviously getting a shot here in Detroit, to me, that's definitely something positive and something that the town and the community can be excited about."

The Lions had one of the worst defenses in history in 2008. They allowed 517 points, second-most all-time, and had four interceptions, a record-low for a 16-game season.

The Titans ranked second in scoring defense in 2008, allowing 14.6 points per game. The Lions got a good look at Schwartz's defense on Thanksgiving Day. The Titans forced the Lions to fumble in the first minute and went on to blow them out, 47-10.

"Definitely going from how that defense was playing, he's got to know what he's doing," Lions right guard Stephen Peterman said. "For sure, I think that's a good hire. It's sad to see Rod leave and see what happened, but sometimes change is good."