The Detroit Lions completed their official hiring of the coaching staff over the weekend. Most of the hirings were previously reported connections, including Tyrone McKenzie as LBs coach and Ben Johnson as the TE coach.
One of the coaches announced with the last group is a familiar name for NFL fans. More specifically, New England Patriots fans. New Lions defensive assistant Ty Warren spent eight seasons playing all over the defensive line for the Patriots before ending his career with one injury-marred season in Denver.
Warren is the team’s new WCF Minority Coaching Assistantship coach, a program that also created the opportunity for Billy Yates to get promoted to the assistant OL coaching job this offseason. He’s a good candidate to teach the Lions defensive line exactly what head coach Matt Patricia wants and expects. Warren’s positional versatility and ability to collapse the pocket while playing the run well on the way to the QB are what Detroit needs from Da’Shawn Hand, Kevin Strong and what figures to be an influx of newcomers to the defensive line.
Warren spent last season as a volunteer assistant coach in Detroit. The 39-year-old was a first-round pick by the Patriots out of Texas A&M in 2003.