The Detroit Lions have announced that head coach Jim Schwartz has been fired by the club after five seasons in charge.

Schwartz took the helm in Detroit in the 2009 campaign a season after they finished 0-16 and guided them to a playoff appearance in 2011, where the crashed out in the Wild Card Round.

However, they have missed the post-season in back-to-back years as they imploded this season falling from 6-3 to finishing the campaign 7-9, in a year where their divisional rivals in the NFC North suffered major injuries.

The 47-year-old had a 29-51 record in his five years with the club.