ESPN football analyst Adam Schefter is reporting the Detroit Lions have hired Jim Caldwell as coach.
Caldwell previously coached Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts and served as offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens last season. He replaces Jim Schwartz, who was fired after five seasons at the end of the year.
Caldwell has been a hot commodity since the Ravens season ended, also interviewing for head coaching openings with the Washington Redskins, Tennessee Titans and San Diego Chargers.
As part of the Detroit interviewing process, Caldwell met with Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and team vice chairman Bill Ford, Jr. Sources saw instantly impressed both parties with an extensive plan he has for improving on Stanford's 2013 season of 4,650 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 84.2 passer rating.
While with the Colts, Caldwell won a Super Bowl as an assistant under Tony Dungy and later reached another one as a head coach, going 14-2 in the regular season in his first season as head coach.
In all, he served as a coach to Manning for a decade, nine of them ending with the Colts making the playoffs and winning AFC South division titles. Caldwell was fired by the Colts in 2011 after going 2-14 with Manning sidelined after undergoing neck surgery.
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