Lions Coach Jim Schwartz ready for return to Tennessee

In Week One, Lions Coach Jim Schwartz went head-to-head against one of his mentors, Rams Coach Jeff Fisher.

Two weeks later, Schwartz returns to Tennessee, where he spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach with the Titans under Fisher, and alongside current Titans Coach Mike Munchak.

Schwartz said he’s looking forward to returning to Tennessee, where his Lions will face the Titans on Sunday. But he reminded during a conference call with Nashville media on Wednesday morning it will be a business trip. Schwartz’s Lions defeated Fisher’s Rams 27-23 in Week One. Schwartz said he occasionally returns to Nashville to see old friends.

“We always have a reason to go back to Tennessee,’’ Schwartz said. ”We were there for 10 years. All three of my kids were born in Tennessee. My whole family has life-long friends that will continue to visit and stay and touch with. So we try and get back there as much as we can.

“It was a great place to live. It was a great 10 years of our lives and we certainly extend those relationships.”

The Lions are 1-1 this season in Schwartz’s fourth year with the team. He guided the Lions to playoffs in 2011, the first playoff appearance for the organization since the 1999 season.

Former Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and linebacker Stephen Tulloch will also return to LP Field as well. Former Titans player and assistant coach Marcus Robertson is also with the Lions, along with Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, who coached Titans linebackers from 2001-03. Lions linebackers coach Matt Burke was with the Titans from 2004-08 as an assistant coach.

Schwartz said Munchak was a good hire for the Titans, who are off to a 0-2 start this season after finishing 9-7 in his first year as head coach last year.

“Munch is very, very well respected,’’ Schwartz said. “He is very organized, smart, played in the NFL – he is in the Hall of Fame, good gracious. I think he has proven he is a good leader. They haven’t started off the way they wanted to … but you are judged on 16 games.

“… There’s a lot of scrutiny in this league and people need a lot of things to talk about, but what you need to do is go to work every day and you need to improve every single week and you need to be resilient and those are all qualities Mike Munchak has, and that will serve that team well.”

Source: Titans Insider