Schwartz says ready to give Lions back their bite

DETROIT (Reuters) - New Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz urged fans on Friday not to expect overnight miracles but promised he was ready for the huge challenge of turning around one of the NFL''s all-time worst teams.

The defensive coordinator for the 13-3 Tennessee Titans last season, Schwartz has moved from the league''s best team to one that became the first to finish the regular season 0-16.

He said he was not afraid of the task in hand.

"I''m a blue collar kid," Schwartz told reporters during his introduction at Ford Field. "I can''t speak of the past. I''m not here to exorcise any ghosts.

"My dad would be very disappointed if I backed away from a challenge. It''s in our blood.

"There''s no better feeling in the world than turning a situation around. That''s what drives me here.

"Our success will be so much sweeter here because of 0-16 and because of the past."

He said the process of rebuilding would be gradual but pledged to put a team on the field that Lions fans could be proud of.

"I know everyone is excited but there are baby steps that need to be taken first," Schwartz said.

"When you talk about changing a culture, when you talk about improving a team, my mantra is going to be a daily thing. Let''s get better today, let''s not worry about what''s going to happen a month from now.

"I think if you talk about a quick turnaround, it''s probably not going to happen. If you talk about getting better every single day, then you have a chance. You can''t look too far ahead."

The task awaiting Schwartz, who signed a four-year $11 million deal, is as daunting as any faced by an NFL head coach.

Under coach Rod Marinelli, who was sacked following a 31-21 season-ending loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Lions won just once in their last 24 games and can count just one playoff victory in the last 51 years.

Detroit has hosted two Super Bowls but never come close to playing in one.

The architect behind one of the NFL''s top defenses, Schwartz will need all his talents to rebuild a Detroit defense that ranked as the league''s worst surrendering 517 points last season.

(Writing by Steve Keating; Editing by Sonia Oxley)