HOT NEWS: Lions officially announce coaching staff changes…

The Detroit Lions have hired Terrell Williams as their defensive line coach and Deshea Townsend as their secondary

coach, according to reports throughout the past two weeks.

The organization formally announced the hiring of Townsend as their new defensive backs coach and passing game

coordinator and Williams as their new defensive line coach and run game coordinator on Wednesday. Brian Duker,

who left to pursue a position with the Miami Dolphins, will be replaced by Townsend.

It was also reported that Jim O’Neil, a defensive assistant, would be the third new hiring.

O’Neil served 11 seasons as an NFL assistant with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland

Browns, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets. Most recently, he was the defensive coordinator at Northwestern (2021

and 2022).

Along with his coaching background, O’Neil had three seasons as an NFL defensive coordinator: two with the

Browns (2014–2015) and one with the 49ers (2016). Throughout his coaching career, he has primarily coached

defensive backs, which seems to motivate

The Lions website lists six coaches, many of whom are on the defensive end of the ball, as being gone.

Jim Hostler, senior offensive assistant

Wayne Blair is the defensive quality control coach.

Coach of the defensive line John Scott Jr.

Dre’ Bly, the cornerbacks coach

Brian Duker, the defensive backs coach,

John Fox, senior defensive assistant

Williams is going to take Scott’s place. According to early reports, Townsend would take over as the Lions’

cornerbacks coach, but Bly is still gone even with Townsend’s title being expanded (to replace Duker’s).

It appears that the Lions still need to fill three positions on their coaching staff for 2024: an offensive assistant,

defensive quality control, and a coach for cornerbacks. However, the most significant additions and changes—

Williams and Townsend, which had previously been rumored but not O’Neil—are now official.