Tag: Wayne Blair

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.

Ex-Lions defensive coach Stephen Thomas lands with the Giants

Thomas spent the last four seasons as the Lions’ defensive quality control coach

Another former Detroit Lions assistant coach has found a new team. Stephen Thomas is the new assistant special teams coach for the New York Giants.

Thomas spent the last four seasons in Detroit as the Lions’ defensive quality control coach. He now moves to Brian Daboll’s staff with the Giants. He’s one of two assistant special teams coaches for the Giants, along with Anthony Blevins. Detroit has one coach in that role, Jett Modkins.

The Lions already filled the defensive quality control coach role by promoting Wayne Blair to the position.

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Lions announce new additions to the coaching staff

Detroit introduced three new coaches under Dan Campbell

The Detroit Lions have filled out the coaching staff for the 2022 NFL season. In addition to many prominent returning names underneath head coach Dan Campbell, the Lions added three new members to the staff.

New senior offensive assistant John Morton is an experienced coach who most recently spent the last three seasons in the same role with the Las Vegas Raiders. Morton, not to be confused with former Lions WR Johnny Morton, has over 20 years of NFL coaching experience. He had one season (2017) as the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets. Morton also coached with Campbell in New Orleans in 2016, serving as the Saints wide receivers coach that year.

Morton also played wide receiver in the NFL Europe and CFL after graduating from Western Michigan back in 1993. He will work with offensive skill position players.

Wayne Blair is the new defensive quality control coach, but he’s a familiar face in Allen Park. Blair coached under the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program for the Lions in 2021.

The third new coach is one previously announced. Assistant defensive line coach Cameron Davis was known to be with the team. He jumps up from FCS-level Lamar University.