Lions Fire Head Coach Jim Caldwell

DETROIT, MI – It's not that Jim Caldwell didn't do a good job coaching the Detroit Lions over the past four seasons, it's that they would have liked him to have done better. On Monday, the team fired him.

"On behalf of my family and the Lions organization I would like to thank Jim Caldwell for his exemplary leadership and service to our team and our community over the past four years," team owner Martha Firestone Ford said in a statement. "I believe Jim is one of the finest leaders we’ve ever had as our head coach.

"Not only did he guide us on the field to three winning seasons, but he also set a standard of excellence off the field that had a tremendous impact on everyone in our organization and our entire community."

On Sunday, Caldwell led the team to a 35-11 victory over the Packers. Neither team is headed to the playoffs.

The Lions finished the season 9-7. It was Caldwell's third winning season in four years as a head coach.

The team says that Caldwell's .563 winning percentage is the highest for any Lions coach who led the team for at least one full season since Buddy Parker who was head coach from 1951-1956.

Caldwell also led the team to the playoffs twice – in 2014 and in 2016.

He lost both years.

"As many of our players have already said, his influence on them transcended the game of football and will positively serve them throughout their lives," Ford said in her statement. "Our organization is better because of Jim, and we are forever grateful.

"We wish Jim, his wife Cheryl and the entire Caldwell family all the best that life can offer."

The Lion now join their NFC North colleagues, the Bears, in looking for a new head coach.

Photo of Caldwell coaching the team on Sunday via Leon Halip, stringer/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images.