As initially reported by Associated Press sports writer Larry Lage, Rod Marinelli, who spent the past 10 seasons in Tampa Bay as defensive line coach, said Thursday that as coach of the Detroit Lions he doesn't plan to worry about the team's struggling past.

"The issue now is what we do at this point. The issue is us and how we're going to move forward," Marinelli said during a news conference at the team's practice facility to announce his hiring.

Marinelli's hiring has raised eyebrows among those who follow the team closely.

As long-time Detroit News beat writer Mike O'Hara framed it this morning: "Millen mined the NFL's ranks of assistant head coaches and selected a man without a high public profile in hiring Marinelli on Wednesday."

O'Hara went on to suggest that Millen, whose latest choice for head coach of the "Lions looks like it came from the same plan as his first," has to hope he has more success with Marinelli than he had with Marty Mornhinweg five years ago.

Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp was more critical, writing this morning: "The Lions didn't hire a coach Wednesday night. They nominated a Supreme Court candidate, confident that no one will be able to unearth any old, controversial opinions that will harm his chances of being confirmed.

"Marinelli comes to Detroit with no paper trail, no history of mediocrity to doom his credibility before he has had a chance to raise the bar of expectations. He has never been a head coach, so there's nothing to hold against him.

"That's the Lions' strategy in hiring the 15th head coach in William Clay Ford Sr.'s 42 years of sole ownership.

"You can't loathe what you don't know. ..."

A harsh assessment, but understandable given Millen's track record. Still, you can't say he rushed into this one. Unlike Millen's first two coaching searches, he took his time and interviewed several candidates.

Millen hired Mornhinweg quickly in 2001, hoping Cleveland wouldn't hire him. Two years later, Millen hired Steve Mariucci with such haste that he was fined $200,000 by the NFL because he didn't follow the league's minority interview policy.

Dick Jauron, who took over when Mariucci was fired in November, was one of many candidates Millen interviewed during a two-week process. Among the coaches Millen also interviewed were: Pittsburgh offensive line coach Russ Grimm; Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak; Cleveland offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon, New York Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis and San Francisco assistant head coach Mike Singletary.

Former New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett said he was scheduled to travel from his home in Louisiana to Michigan on Wednesday night for a second interview. But on Wednesday evening, he told the Lage that he had not heard from the Lions about his travel arrangements or his prospects for the job.

With Millen's players and coaches, the Lions are an NFL-worst 21-59 over the past five seasons -- since the former linebacker and TV analyst became an NFL executive for the first time.

"We have a lot of work to get done here and I believe we have the people who want to get that work done," Millen said in introducing Marinelli this morning.

So what about the new guy?

In his time with the Buccaneers, Marinelli's unit helped establish an NFL record with 69 straight games with at least one sack from 1999-03. He had the title of assistant head coach added in 2002.

"Football is a show-me game. I'm tired of talking," Marinelli in his introductory comments. "You start putting on pads and do the work. Let our film talk for us."

Marinelli has not been a head coach at any level, but attracted interest from at least one other team with an opening this offseason. The Oakland Raiders interviewed Marinelli on Monday, then he traveled to suburban Detroit for a second interview with Millen.

Marinelli, 56, has been part of a Tampa Bay coaching staff that has maintained one of the best defenses in the NFL for years. He has worked with such coaches as Tony Dungy, Lovie Smith, Herman Edwards and Jon Gruden, who took the Bucs to the Super Bowl title in the 2002 season. Gruden recently endorsed Marinelli as a head coach.

"I think he would be outstanding," Gruden told reporters. "He's a guy that I certainly would recommend, highly."

Marinelli's coaching career began in 1973 as an assistant at Rosemead (Calif.) High School. He was an assistant at Utah State from 1973-82, before moving on to California for nine seasons, Arizona State for three seasons and Southern California for one season.

He is known for creative approaches, including showing his players videos of shark attacks, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

"Sometimes you have to use different things. ... That show you what you're trying to accomplish," Marinelli told the newspaper in 2003. "Those are things that capture the mind for a moment, and an image can do it. You can talk and talk, but an image will last."

If nothing else, his approach to the game -- as he described it this morning -- is promising.

"I'm not interested in Pro Bowl players, I'm interested in world champions," Marinelli said. "I want to be physical, that's my style. I want to run the ball with power, defend with power. ..."

Stay tuned. ... I'll have more on the Lions -- and specifically the team's offensive direction -- as Marinelli fills out his staff and better defines his philosophy on that side of the ball. ...

Meanwhile, in an article published Monday, Pro Football Weekly reported that Millen told multiple head-coaching candidates with whom he recently spoke that the Lions aren't looking at quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft.

PFW went on to advise readers that Millen and the scouting staff are interested in Cardinals quarterback Josh McCown, an unrestricted free agent, and at least two other veterans expected to be available via trade.

Team observers said Millen also believes Jon Kitna could do the job.

However, a league source told PFW the Lions were "in love with" Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler, who could be one of the top three quarterbacks drafted in April.

The uncertainty at quarterback includes Joey Harrington, who threw 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2005, when he fell out of favor with Mariucci. Veteran Jeff Garcia will be an unrestricted free agent and as a "Mariucci guy," probably will not return.

Harrington's status will be determined once Marinelli settles in and gets his staff together. ...

Also according to PFW, Millen won't rule out keeping receiver Charles Rogers, but team sources say a decision in the team's grievance against Rogers -- Detroit seeks a return of $10.1 million of Rogers' $14.4 million signing bonus -- might ultimately dictate the direction this relationship takes.