Tag: coaching hire

Detroit Lions officially announce 2021 coaching staff

The Detroit Lions have announced their official coaching staff for the 2021 season and we have all the details on all the new hires.

The Detroit Lions have officially announced their coaching staff for the 2021 season and we have all the details on all the new hires with links to their hiring announcements.

Head Coach, Dan Campbell

When Campbell was hired, he was emphatic about wanting to be in Detroit —  “I wanted this job. Bad.” — and you could see his excitement in all of his public appearances during his first week with the Lions.

Offensive staff

Anthony Lynn – Offensive Coordinator (Hired post)

Duce Staley – Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs (Hired post)

Mark Brunell – Quarterbacks (Hired post)

Antwaan Randle El – Wide Receivers (Hired post)

Seth Ryan – Assistant Wide Receivers (Hired post)

Ben Johnson – Tight Ends (Returning coach)

Hank Fraley – Offensive Line (Returning announcement)

DeOn’tae Pannell – WCF Minority Coaching Assistantship

Tanner Engstrand – Offensive Quality Control (Returning coach)

Defense staff

Aaron Glenn – Defensive Coordinator (Hired, Official announcement)

Dom Capers – Senior Defensive Assistant (Hired post)

Todd Wash — Defensive Line (Hired post)

Mark DeLeone – Inside Linebackers (Hired post)

Aubrey Pleasant – Defensive Backs/Pass Game Coordinator (Hired post)

Kelvin Sheppard – Defensive Assistant (Hired post)

Brian Duker – Defensive Assistant (Hired post)

Stephen Thomas – Defensive Quality Control (Returning coach)

Special teams

Dave Fipp – Special Teams Coordinator (Hired post)

Jett Modkins – Assistant Special Teams (Hired post)

Support staff

Kevin Anderson – Chief of Staff/Head Coach Administration (Returning)

David Corrao – Director of Football Research (Returning)

Mike Clark – Director of Sports Performance (New hire)

Josh Schuler – Head Strength & Conditioning (Returning)

Morris Henry – Assistant Strength & Conditioning (Returning)

CBS Sports grades each college football hire, Steve Sarkisian near top of list

CBS Sports recently graded each head coaching hire in college football and Steve Sarkisian was near the top of the list.

The Texas Longhorns are riding a wave of momentum after the hiring of Steve Sarkisian as head coach. Continue reading “CBS Sports grades each college football hire, Steve Sarkisian near top of list”

Lions add Tanner Engstrand as new offensive assistant coach

Engstrand was an OC in the XFL and coached under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan

Welcome to Detroit, Tanner Engstrand!

Engstrand was hired by the Detroit Lions as an offensive assistant coach on Friday, per his Twitter page and an updated coaching list on the team’s official website.

Engstrand played quarterback at San Diego State in 2003-2004 before moving directly into coaching. He worked at the University of San Diego for several seasons before rejoining ex-Toreros head coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. He most recently served as the offensive coordinator for the Washington Defenders of the XFL.

His exact role with the Lions has not yet been specified.

Engstrand updated his Twitter profile with a Lions background

Lions announce finalized coaching, strength and conditioning staffs for 2020

After a few months of reported coaching hires, the Detroit Lions have announced a finalized coaching, strength and conditioning staffs list for the 2020 season.

After a few months of reported coaching hires, the Detroit Lions have announced a finalized coaching, strength and conditioning staffs list for the 2020 season.

Let’s take a closer look at the Lions 2020 staff and the umbrella each coach falls under.

Matt Patricia – Head Coach

David Corrao – Director of Football Research
Evan Rothstein – Head Coach Assistant/Research & Analysis

Darrell Bevell – Offensive Coordinator

Sean Ryan – Quarterbacks
Kyle Caskey – Running Backs
Robert Prince – Wide Receivers
Ben Johnson – Tight Ends (Promoted from offensive quality control)
Hank Fraley – Offensive Line (Promoted from assistant OL coach)
Billy Yates – Assistant Offensive Line (Promoted from WCF Minority Coaching Assistantship)
Leon Washington – WCF Minority Coaching Assistantship/Offense

Three internal changes on the offensive side of the ball, beginning with Johnson being promoted to tight ends coach. He had previously coached tight ends while with the Miami Dolphins in 2015. Fraley gets a bump from assistant OL coach to full-time OL coach, and his old spot was filled by Yates, who is moving back to the offensive side of the ball after spending time on defense last season.

Cory Undlin – Defensive Coordinator

Undlin (New hire, what the Lions are getting)
Bo Davis – Defensive Line
Tyrone McKenzie – Linebackers (New hire, what the Lions are getting)
Steve Gregory – Defensive Backs (Promoted from defensive assistant)
Stephen Thomas – Defensive Quality Control
Tony Carter – Defensive Assistant (New hire)
Ty Warren – WCF Minority Coaching Assistantship (New hire)

Major changes on the defensive side of the ball starting at the top with the hire of former Eagles defensive backs coach Undlin. McKenzie left the Titans to join the Lions and after two very successful seasons in Tennessee, with most called this a major victory for the Lions. Gregory, a former NFL safety, has been waiting in the wings for this promotion since he was hired by Patricia two years ago. Carter is a new hire and found his greatest success in the NFL playing corner under Undlin in Denver. Warren, a former first-round pick of the Patriots, spent six years with Patricia in New England.

Brayden Coombs – Special Teams Coordinator

Coombs (New hire, what the Lions are getting)
Marquice Williams – Assistant Special Teams

Coombs was universally regarded as an up and comer in the coaching industry and an applauded hire by the Lions.

Josh Schuler – Head Strength & Conditioning

Schuler (Promoted from assistant S&C)
Morris Henry – Assistant Strength & Conditioning (New hire)
Tom Kanavy – Assistant Strength & Conditioning (New hire)

Schuler has been with the Lions since 2016 — as am assistant strength and conditioning coach and was promoted to head strength and conditioning coach. Henry spent the last four seasons on the Auburn strength and conditioning program,

Kanavy was most recently the director of sports performance at Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, but has loads of previous NFL strength and conditioning program experience, spending 1995-2005 with the Eagles, 2006-13 with the Vikings and 2015-18 with the Titans. During his time in the league, Kanavy was the Head Strength and Conditioning coach during his entire time with the Vikings and the 2018 season with the Titans.