The Detroit Lions have hired former Pistons Sports and Entertainment COO Richard Haddad as their new president and CEO, the organization announced Wednesday.“I am thrilled to join the Detroit Lions organization as its next President and CEO,” Haddad said in a statement released by the Lions. “I want to thank Sheila Hamp and the Ford family for their trust in me, along with Tom Gores and Arn Tellem for 14 great years with the Pistons. As a lifelong Lions fan, I understand firsthand how much this team means to this city and state, and I’m honored and humbled to lead this franchise. Sheila, Rod (Wood), Brad (Holmes) and Dan (Campbell) have built an incredible foundation, and I can’t wait to work with them to build on that and deliver for our fans and our community.”Haddad, an Adrian, Mich., native who earned his bachelor’s degree in history at Michigan before earning a law degree at Columbia Law School, comes to the Lions after 14 years with Pistons Sports and Entertainment and the Detroit Pistons. During his time with PSE, Haddad helped spearhead the Pistons’ move from Auburn Hills to Detroit, the development, construction and opening of the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center and the organization’s efforts to bring a WNBA team back to Detroit.Should Detroit Lions be considered favorites to win NFC North?Robert Mays and Derrik KlassenThis hire was a long time coming. In February, the Lions announced that former president and CEO Rod Wood would be stepping down after roughly 10 years on the job. Wood has continued in his role since the announcement, which stated that he would stay on until a replacement was hired. Wood has been spotted often on the sidelines during training camp.