Amid the serious allegations cast against the NFL in a lawsuit from former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, more claims of racial mistreatment during head coach hiring processes have emerged. The latest team involved in the controversy is the Detroit Lions. The agent of former Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin alleged on Wednesday that the Lions conducted a “sham interview” with Austin in 2017 in order to comply with the Rooney Rule's regulations. Austin's agent alleges that the Lions had already decided to hire Matt Patricia, via Dave Birkett.

The Lions made the shocking decision to fire Jim Caldwell after the 2017 season despite an overall successful tenure with the franchise. Across four seasons in Detroit, Caldwell led the team to a 36-28 record, including two playoff appearances. Despite a 9-7 record in 2017, the Lions decided to part ways with Caldwell, and the team's GM, Bob Quinn, who had worked alongside Patricia with the Patriots in the past, wasted no time in bringing his former colleague to Detroit.

“Bob Quinn knew he was hiring Matt Patricia and used Teryl to comply with the Rooney Rule,” Austin's agent, Eric Metz, said via the Associated Press. “Didn’t work out well for the Lions. Never should’ve fired Jim Caldwell.”

Of course, Patricia's tenure in Detroit was a complete disaster. The team struggled under his tutelage, going 13-29 across the three seasons he was the team's head coach. Patricia was fired in 2020 and subsequently replaced by Dan Campbell. The Lions haven't had even close to a winning record since Caldwell was let go in 2017.