Category: Coaching Search

Lions assistant Scottie Montgomery is part of this year’s NFL coach accelerator program

Lions assistant Scottie Montgomery is part of this year’s NFL coach accelerator program

Every year, the NFL invites several younger assistant coaches to a developmental program. One of this year’s invitees to the NFL Coach Accelerator program is Lions assistant head coach and running backs coach Scottie Montgomery.

This edition took place at the NFL’s spring meeting in Nashville during the week. Montgomery, who previously participated in the program while he was a member of the Indianapolis Colts coaching staff, is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks and does have pervious head coaching experience at the college level.

More about the Coach Accelerator program from the NFL’s press release,

The accelerator serves as a platform for clubs and owners to engage with qualified coaching candidates from diverse backgrounds. Candidates can build relationships with club owners and executives and further develop and hone their leadership skills. To date, the program has successfully contributed to an increase in diverse candidates being interviewed for open positions, and many past participants have been promoted and hired into more senior coaching positions.

Dre Bly, John Fox among the coaches moving on from the Lions

Dre Bly, John Fox among the coaches moving on from the Lions after the 2023 season

In light of the official hiring of three new defensive coaches, the Detroit Lions also had to subtract a few coaches from the team.

A couple of the departures were already known. Defensive line coach John Scott was replaced during Senior Bowl week by new DL coach and run game coordinator Terrell Williams. DBs coach Brian Duker left for the Miami Dolphins last week.

One more positional coach has also been let go. Cornerbacks coach Dre Bly no longer appears on the team’s coaching roster. Like Scott, Bly was brought in from the college ranks for the 2023 season. His group didn’t show a lot of progress, and his departure is not exactly a surprise.

Defensive quality control coach Wayne Blair is also no longer with the team. His contract expired and was not renewed.

Two senior assistant coaches have also moved on. Former NFL head coach John Fox won’t be back in 2024 after one season as a defensive assistant. Longtime NFL coach Jim Hostler is also out after one year as a senior offensive assistant in Detroit.

Lions officially hire three new defensive coaches

The Lions officially added 3 new defensive coaches to the den on Wednesday

The Detroit Lions filled out their 2024 coaching staff by hiring three new additions.

Deshea Townsend and Terrell Williams were already known to be joining the team. Townsend takes over as the defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator for the Lions. He spent the last two seasons in those same roles for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Williams was hired back in January, but the move to appoint him as the new defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator is now officially recognized. The longtime DL coach was previously with the Tennessee Titans. He was once Lions GM Brad Holmes’ position coach in the college ranks.

The third hire is one that hadn’t been previously revealed. Jim O’Neil joins the Lions as a defensive assistant. O’Neil has been in the coaching ranks at a number of stops since 2001 and was most recently the defensive coordinator at Northwestern. He’s primarily worked with defensive backs but did spend two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.

Reports indicate the Lions are adding a new defensive passing game coordinator

Reports indicate the Lions are adding a new defensive passing game coordinator in longtime NFL DB Deshea Townsend

There appears to be another coaching addition to the Detroit Lions defensive staff. Multiple reports indicate the Lions are hiring former Jaguars defensive passing game coordinator Deshea Townsend to the same role in Detroit.

Townsend, 48, spent two years in that role in Jacksonville. The Lions did not have a named passing game coordinator on defense in 2023. Townsend will join defensive run game coordinator Terrell Williams, who was reportedly hired away from the Tennessee Titans during the Senior Bowl week.

Most notable for his 12 seasons playing defensive back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Townsend has been coaching DBs in the NFL and college since 2011.

There is no word yet on whether the reported move has any impact on current Lions CB coach Dre Bly or defensive backs coach Biran Duker.

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Report: Lions to hire new DL coach and defensive run game coordinator

Report: Lions to hire Terrell Williams as the DL coach and defensive run game coordinator

There is an assistant coaching shakeup on the Lions staff coming. According to Diana Russini of The Athletic, the Lions are adding a defensive run game coordinator and defensive line coach to the mix.

Russini reported that the Lions are hiring Titans assistant coach Terrell Williams to be Detroit’s defensive run game coordinator and DL coach. Williams is currently serving as a coach for hte American team at the Senior Bowl.

The 2023 Lions did not have a defensive run game coordinator. They do still have their defensive line coach, John Scott, under employment as of the time of the report. Scott joined the Lions for the 2023 season after serving as a defensive coach for the Penn State football program. There is no word on Scott’s status.

As for Williams, he has been with the Titans since the 2018 season, serving as Tennessee’s DL coach. The title of assistant head coach was added for the 2023 season. Before that, he worked in Miami. That includes a stint with Lions head coach Dan Campbell in 2015 when Campbell was the interim head coach for the Dolphins.

Two more head coaching jobs filled while Lions assistants keep playing on

Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn are still prepping the Lions for the NFC Championship game while 2 more head coaching jobs got filled

Detroit Lions assistant coaches Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson are busy preparing the team for the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. But they’re also head coaching candidates for several of the vacancies around the league.

There are two less of those vacancies now that there were 24 hours ago.

On Wednesday night, news broke that Jim Harbaugh was leaving Michigan and the college ranks behind to accept the head coaching gig with the Los Angeles Chargers. That’s a position that both Glenn and Johnson interviewed for last weekend.

Some 18 hours later, multiple reports indicate the Carolina Panthers have hired Dave Canales as their new head coach. Canales, 42, was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 after spending years as an offensive assistant with the Seattle Seahawks.

While Glenn never interviewed with the Panthers, Johnson was an early favorite to be offered the position. He was the top choice for Panthers owner Dave Tepper last offseason, when Johnson pulled his name from consideration after interviewing with Carolina.

Johnson is still regarded as a prime candidate for the Washington Commanders head coaching vacancy. One report on Thursday even had Johnson as “a lock” to be the new coach there, though that remains to be seen.

Titans to hire Bengals OC Brian Callahan as head coach

Titans hire Bengals OC Brian Callahan as head coach, which means Tennessee didn’t hire Aaron Glenn or Ben Johnson

The Tennessee Titans have themselves a new head coach. Tennessee has decided on Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as the new head coach, succeeding Mike Vrabel.

The Titans opening was one that Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn interviewed for over the weekend, and Glenn was considered by some as one of the favorites to land the position. Cross that one off the list.

There are still five head coaching vacancies after Callahan’s hiring, and also the Raiders option to keep interim head coach Antonio Pierce for their gig. Both Glenn and Lions OC Ben Johnson have interviewed for the openings with the Chargers and Commanders.

Callahan, 39, had been the Bengals offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. He’s known for his work with QB Joe Burrow and also the surprising development of Burrow’s backup, Jake Browning. He is the son of longtime NFL offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who currently serves in that role for the Browns.

Ben Johnson interviewing with 3 teams on Saturday

Lions coordinator Ben Johnson interviewing with 3 teams on Saturday for their head coaching vacancies

Ben Johnson has a busy Saturday in front of him. The Lions offensive coordinator will interview for the head coaching vacancy with three different NFL teams.

Per Peter Schrager of the NFL Network, Johnson will conduct virtual interviews with the Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. It’s the day before Johnson’s Lions face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC divisional round in Ford Field.

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Johnson also had at least one interview on Friday, meeting virtually with the Washington Commanders after the Lions practice session. The 37-year-old is one of the hottest candidates on the coaching carousel this offseason.

Raiders hire Antonio Pierce as head coach

Pierce, a former Raiders LB, led the team to a 5-4 record after taking over following their Week 8 loss to the Lions

The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the teams that presented a threat to hire away one of the Detroit Lions coordinators this offseason. That threat is now over.

On Friday, the Raiders hired interim head coach Antonio Pierce to the full-time job. It’s a move that had been championed by the Raiders players, who finished 5-4 under Pierce after starting 3-5 with Josh McDaniels in charge. The Raiders fired McDaniels after a Week 8 loss to the Lions on Monday Night Football.

Pierce is a former NFL linebacker who meshed well and quickly earned respect in the locker room. In that regard, he’s a lot like Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, both of whom are still competing in the postseason.

The Raiders had never formally requested permission to speak with either Lions coordinator, Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn. They are conducting remote interviews during the scant free time this weekend before the Lions face the Buccaneers.

The Panthers are once again pursuing Ben Johnson as a potential head coach

Johnson pulled his name from consideration after interviewing with the Panthers last year, and it’s a significantly less appealing job now

Last offseason, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was the odds-on favorite to become the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Johnson is once again surging to the top of the heap of potential candidates for the same job opening one year later.

The Panthers have requested permission from the Lions to speak to Johnson about their head coaching vacancy. Carolina fired Frank Reich after a 1-10 start. Owner David Tepper also fired GM Scott Fitterer after the Panthers finished a league-worst 2-15.

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Johnson interviewed with Carolina last offseason but declined a second interview request, choosing to stay in Detroit. The gig is not nearly as appealing now, with the Panthers bottoming out and also not having a first-round pick after trading up to select Bryce Young No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Young was not impressive in his rookie QB campaign, and the Panthers have more apparent holes across their roster than at this point last year.

Per Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer, Johnson is among several assistant coaches the Panthers have requested permission to interview. The Washington Commanders have also requested permission to speak to Johnson and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.