Tag: Deshea Townsend

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.

Lions DB coach Brian Duker hired by the Dolphins

Duker leaves for Miami to be the Dolphins DBs coach and defensive passing game coordinator

The first offseason position coaching change has struck the Detroit Lions. Secondary coach Brian Duker is leaving Drtroit to join the Miami Dolphins in a similar capacity.

Duker has been with the Lions for the entire Dan Campbell tenure. He was the safeties coach before being promoted to defensive backs coach in the 2022 season. He will be the defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator for the Dolphins.

The Lions hired Deshea Tonwsend into that role during the week, so Duker’s replacement is already hires. Townsend’s hiring is expected to be made official soon, along with new defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator Terrell Williams.defensive run game coordinator Terrell Williams.

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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Lions hiring ex-Jaguars passing game coordinator Deshea Townsend

Deshea Townsend, who was fired as the Jaguars’ passing game coordinator, is reportedly taking on the same position in Detroit.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars passing game coordinator Deshea Townsend is set to take the same position with the Detroit Lions, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

Townsend, who also worked as the Jaguars’ cornerbacks coach, was hired by Jacksonville in February 2023 as one of the first members of Doug Pederson’s coaching staff. In January, Townsend was fired along with defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and most of the defensive staff.

Prior to his time in Jacksonville, Townsend played 13 seasons in the NFL, spending all but one of those years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He then transitioned into coaching, spending time with the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and Chicago Bears before joining the Jaguars’ staff.

The Lions kept most of their coaching staff in tact after reaching the NFC Championship this season. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson both received head coaching interest, but are staying put in Detroit.

The team didn’t have a defensive passing game coordinator during the 2023 season.

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Report: Jaguars expected to hire Deshea Townsend to staff

Jacksonville is closing in on another assistant coach hire (likely for the secondary), according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

New Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson has worked quickly to put together a staff in Jacksonville despite the 49-day coaching search. He’s already hired both coordinators and a number of position coaches, and it seems that he’s poised to add another.

According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Jags plan to hire former Bears secondary coach Deshea Townsend to their staff. Townsend was originally expected to join Kevin O’Connell with the Minnesota Vikings, which would’ve allowed him to remain in the NFC North.

However, per Rapoport, he never signed with the Vikings and had a change of heart. He is now set to fill a role on defense (likely as a cornerbacks or defensive backs coach). If he’s named the team’s cornerbacks coach, Townsend would be replacing Tim Walton, who is now with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Townsend, 46, is a former cornerback who played 13 years in the NFL, primarily for the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he won two Super Bowls, but also for the Indianapolis Colts. He got into coaching immediately following his playing career, taking an assistant defensive backs coach role with Arizona in 2011.

In 2013 he became the cornerbacks coach at Mississippi State before returning to the NFL to coach defensive backs for the Tennessee Titans in 2016. He was there for two seasons and spent 2018 as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Giants before taking his previous role with Chicago in 2019.

Deshea Townsend has change of heart, spurns Vikings for Jaguars

Doug Pederson gets one over on the Vikings, again.

File this one under the category of things no one thought would happen on Super Bowl weekend. After being expected to be hired by the Minnesota Vikings, secondary coach Deshea Townsend is now reportedly joining head coach Doug Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport broke the news on Sunday and cited a “change of heart” as the reasoning for the flip-flop decision.

Pederson, who ruined the Vikings’ Super Bowl hopes in the 2017 NFC Championship game, hasn’t even been back in the league for two weeks, and he’s already back to being a thorn in their side.

Townsend has worked with the Chicago Bears for the last three seasons and contributed to their team having one of the best passing defenses in the league.

But he found himself on the outs with the team after Matt Nagy was fired and Matt Eberflus was named as the new head coach.

The Vikings are a team that desperately needs help on the backend of their defense, and there was hope Townsend could help them turn a corner.

Instead, he’ll move on to Pederson and the Jaguars, while the Vikings continue their search for a new secondary coach.

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Vikings bringing in Deshea Townsend as new secondary coach

Deshea Townsend leaving the rival Bears for the Vikings.

The Minnesota Vikings continue to put the pieces together with Deshea Townsend being the newest addition to the growing coaching staff.

Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported the news on Friday.

Townsend is being hired as the new secondary coach for a Vikings defense that looked lost against the pass last season. The team clearly needs serious work on the backend of the defense after trying to put a Band-Aid on the situation by bringing in players like legendary cornerback Patrick Peterson, Xavier Woods and Bashaud Breeland.

Peterson and Woods finished the season on one-year deals, while Breeland was waived back in December.

The team could always explore bringing Peterson and/or Woods back into the fold depending on the price, but it’s clear they need to use the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft to focus more on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the secondary.

Townsend spent the last three years as the defensive backs coach for the rival Chicago Bears. Unlike the Vikings, the Bears were one of the best defensive backfields in all of football with opposing quarterbacks averaging only 191.6 passing yards per game against them.

However, his time ultimately ran out in Chicago with the team bringing an end to the Matt Nagy era and hiring Matt Eberflus as the new head coach.

Now, he’ll join the same Vikings team that beat his Bears twice this season with a chance to help them turn things around in the secondary.

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Report: Bears add former S Mike Adams to defensive coaching staff

The Bears are one step closer to having a full coaching staff after hiring former Pro Bowl safety Mike Adams to serve as assistant DB coach.

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The Chicago Bears are one step closer to having a full coaching staff after reportedly hiring former Pro Bowl safety Mike Adams on Monday morning.

According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Adam Hoge, Adams will become the team’s assistant defensive backs coach. The 39-year old will coach under defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, who is entering his third season with the team. His hiring fills the vacancy left by new defensive coordinator Sean Desai, was the team’s safeties coach prior to his promotion.

This is Adams’ first coaching job after playing 16 years in the NFL. He began his career with the San Francisco 49ers, signing as an undrafted free agent in 2004. From there, he had stints with the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, and Houston Texans.

Adams earned Pro Bowl honors with the Colts in 2014 and 2015 and has connections with a few Bears personnel. He played with Bears head coach Matt Nagy when both were attending the University of Delaware. Adams also most recently played with safety Tashaun Gipson when both were members of the Texans secondary in 2019.

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Kyle Fuller, Jaylon Johnson have become dynamic duo at CB for the Bears

Through the first five games, Kyle Fuller and Jaylon Johnson have already proven to be quite the dynamic duo for Chicago’s defense.

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There were a lot of questions surrounding the cornerback position heading into the 2020 season. With Prince Amukamara’s departure and some injuries at the position, it was rookie Jaylon Johnson that got the start opposite two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller in Week 1.

And through the first five games, Fuller and Johnson have already proven to be quite the dynamic duo for Chicago’s defense.

Defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend has praised Fuller and Johnson for their ability to play well in isolation, where they’ve found success through these first five games.

“You’re gonna know those guys are gonna be in man-to-man situations,” said Townsend, “but if you look at what they’re doing, we’re keeping guys from scoring touchdown passes, and that always goes [back] to those guys being on an island, along with a great pass rush and some other things that help. But you always know where those guys are. They’re doing what they’re supposed to do.”

In five games, Fuller has allowed a 57.2 quarterback rating *best in the NFL among players with 20-plus targets) and a 42.9 completion percentage (third best in the NFL). He’s also forced two turnovers — an interception and a fumble.

Then there’s the rookie. Johnson’s impact has been nothing short of spectacular. Through five games, he’s allowed a 76.2 quarterback rating (fifth best among players with 20-plus targets) and a 44.7% completion percentage (fourth best in NFL). All that being the second-most targeted cornerback in the NFL.

Luckily, Johnson’s had some good role models to lean on in his young rookie season, including the likes of Fuller, Buster Skrine and Eddie Jackson.

“They’re tackling well,” said Townsend. “You see how those guys tackle, how they throw it in there. It just goes to how those guys play. With Jaylon being such a young guy and with the group we have with Eddie [Jackson], Gip [Tashaun Gipson Sr.], Buster [Skrine], Kyle, all of those help him become a better player, which makes the tandem [with Fuller] even better.”

The duo of Fuller and Johnson has been one of the biggest strengths of this team through five games. And things are certainly looking up from here.

 

 

Kyle Fuller, Jaylon Johnson have become dynamic duo at CB for the Bears

Through the first five games, Kyle Fuller and Jaylon Johnson have already proven to be quite the dynamic duo for Chicago’s defense.

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There were a lot of questions surrounding the cornerback position heading into the 2020 season. With Prince Amukamara’s departure and some injuries at the position, it was rookie Jaylon Johnson that got the start opposite two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller in Week 1.

And through the first five games, Fuller and Johnson have already proven to be quite the dynamic duo for Chicago’s defense.

Defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend has praised Fuller and Johnson for their ability to play well in isolation, where they’ve found success through these first five games.

“You’re gonna know those guys are gonna be in man-to-man situations,” said Townsend, “but if you look at what they’re doing, we’re keeping guys from scoring touchdown passes, and that always goes [back] to those guys being on an island, along with a great pass rush and some other things that help. But you always know where those guys are. They’re doing what they’re supposed to do.”

In five games, Fuller has allowed a 57.2 quarterback rating *best in the NFL among players with 20-plus targets) and a 42.9 completion percentage (third best in the NFL). He’s also forced two turnovers — an interception and a fumble.

Then there’s the rookie. Johnson’s impact has been nothing short of spectacular. Through five games, he’s allowed a 76.2 quarterback rating (fifth best among players with 20-plus targets) and a 44.7% completion percentage (fourth best in NFL). All that being the second-most targeted cornerback in the NFL.

Luckily, Johnson’s had some good role models to lean on in his young rookie season, including the likes of Fuller, Buster Skrine and Eddie Jackson.

“They’re tackling well,” said Townsend. “You see how those guys tackle, how they throw it in there. It just goes to how those guys play. With Jaylon being such a young guy and with the group we have with Eddie [Jackson], Gip [Tashaun Gipson Sr.], Buster [Skrine], Kyle, all of those help him become a better player, which makes the tandem [with Fuller] even better.”

The duo of Fuller and Johnson has been one of the biggest strengths of this team through five games. And things are certainly looking up from here.