Mariucci: Focus on San Fran
CURT SYLVESTER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
To say Steve Mariucci is downplaying his return to San Francisco would be putting it mildly.
He will gladly talk about grading the Lions' performance in their loss Sunday at Denver.
Or the timetable for their trip Friday to San Francisco.
And he will explain how he hasn't had time for film study on the team he coached for six seasons.
But, for the most part, Mariucci is concealing any strong feelings about facing the 49ers on Sunday.
"I am going to be brief with you guys," he told the media Monday, "because the game is the focus."
And no amount of prying got him to open up. Not entirely, at least.
"I guess it's different," Mariucci said. "Let's be honest, it's different than going to Houston or Jacksonville or somewhere else.
"It's a place where I'm familiar. I know half the people in the stands, I'm familiar with the players."
Mariucci won 57 games and lost 39 with the 49ers. He had to work through a two-year rebuilding program and took them to the playoffs four times.
Some people thought his approach was too conservative, that he didn't fully use wide receiver Terrell Owens and that -- in the tradition of Bill Walsh and George Seifert -- he should have won at least one Super Bowl.
But his abrupt firing by owner's representative John York after a 31-6 playoff loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay was a jolt to Mariucci. And the team's 1-3 record with new coach Dennis Erickson has some 49ers fans wondering about York's decision.
Mariucci clearly would prefer to avoid the subject.
"To be quite frank, I don't even enjoy talking about it," he said, "and if I start thinking about it, I try to change the channel and get it to the here and now. And I think that's important -- I'm not talking about a coach, I'm talking about a human being -- for one's state of mind.
"Because I can't dwell on that. Because if I do, I'd probably have a bad day."
But he admits that the firing had a huge impact on him and his family.
"It was unusual, it was surprising, shocking," he said. "I didn't plan for it. Professionally, physically, emotionally, I didn't plan for it. But when I think about it, I don't think about that day so much.
"There were six years before that that were awesome. I don't need to tell you that I have fond memories, great learning experience, relationships, colleagues, former players, coaches, fans -- I love them.
"Not only did I love working for the organization, I enjoyed living there. I was a citizen there, and my family enjoyed it as much as I did. Those are the things I think of more than the one crazy day."
Less than three weeks after being fired, Mariucci had a job with the Lions, knowing from the start the Lions would have a date with the 49ers in San Francisco.
It was generally assumed the 49ers would be playing at last season's level (they were 10-6 in the regular season, 1-1 in the playoffs) and the Lions would be in their continuing rebuilding program.
Instead, both teams are 1-3, and interest in the game is growing, particularly in the San Francisco area.
Last week, two reporters from the San Francisco area spent a day at the Allen Park practice facility to do Mariucci interviews, and two more reporters were there Monday to cover the Mariucci angle.
Through all of that, he is doing his best to keep his players and the public focused on the game. Aside from three or four minutes in which he talked about his own feelings Monday, he succeeded.
"There's a certain progression to the week, there's a certain buildup," he said, "and you've got to peak at kickoff. All right?"
Mariucci and his staff went through videotape of the loss at Denver, correcting mistakes and outlining changes for the upcoming week. They discussed their own players, went over the 49ers' personnel with advance scout Dennis Murphy and finally began preparing a game plan.
"A lot of work's been done already," Mariucci said. "Assistant coaches have done it. Me, personally, other than watching them play on television a little bit -- which I've done, putting some notes on the side -- my preparation starts tonight."
And that's about as much as Mariucci wants anybody to know about his feelings on returning to San Francisco.
NOTEBOOK: The Lions spent several minutes working on defensive substitutions, the result of mix-ups that cost them time-outs and at times left them with the wrong combination of players against Denver.
Contact CURT SYLVESTER at 313-222-2621 or sylvester@freepress.com .
