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After achieving a 15-2 record and retaining their title as NFC North Champions, the Detroit Lions are being looked at as a model of sustained success throughout the league. As the offseason approaches, several other teams are looking at the Lions’ coaching staff to fill out their ranks. Here are the moves so far: 

Leaving Detroit: 

• Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson heads to the Bears as their new Head Coach. With young QB Caleb Williams to work with, and a solid defense, the Bears could be dangerous. Johnson led Detroit to several historic offensive seasons and helped to bring QB Jared Goff to play at an MVP level. If he can replicate that level of success, the NFC North is going to be an even tougher gauntlet for years to come.

• Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn returns to the Jets as their new Head Coach. Glenn leaves the division to coach where he was drafted as a player, leaving both the division and conference. Glenn was very revered by players and staff and looks to continue that coaching prowess with the Jets. The big question is can Aaron Glenn handle the dysfunction in New Jersey and get them back on track?

• Defensive Line Coach Terrell Williams assumes Defensive Coordinator role with the Patriots. Williams joins new Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel and looks to get them back into their former glory. Coach Williams was only in Detroit for a season but made his impact on players like Mekhi Wingo and Levi Onwuzurike. This is a great hire for the Patriots and should help Vrabel and Co. on the defensive side of the ball which ranked towards the bottom in nearly every stat in 2024.

• Wide Receivers Coach Antwaan Randle El joins Ben Johnson and the Bears as both Wide Receivers coach and Assistant Head Coach. Johnson’s poaching starts with Randle El, who has done a phenomenal job developing guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams into stars. Randle El is headed back to his home state of Illinois to get a promotion after 4 years under Dan Campbell.

• Assistant Quarterbacks Coach J.T. Barrett joins the Bears as their Quarterbacks Coach. The coach poaching continues with Barrett to aid with Caleb Williams and that QB room. Tasked with working with backup QB Hendon Hooker and working under Quarterbacks Coach Mark Brunell, Barrett gets a much deserved promotion within the division.

Coming to Detroit: 

• Buccaneers Defensive Lineman Coach Kacy Rodgers heads to Detroit as their new Defensive Lineman coach. With a dominant defensive line this past season in Tampa Bay, this looks to be a potential improvement over Williams. The Bucs defense ranked 3rd in the league in 2024 by being dominant in the trenches. They ranked 4th in total rushing yards per game and 6th in total sacks. With a depleted defensive line down the stretch, the Lions should stand to gain a great deal from Rodgers. With linemen Alim McNeil and Aidan Hutchinson returning next season, I would look for the defensive line to be a core strength of the 2025 Lions.

Staying Put: 

• Offensive Lineman Coach Hank Fraley gets an added title as Detroit’s new Run Game Coordinator. Rumors circulated that Fraley would join Johnson’s Bears or leave to be an offensive coordinator somewhere else. Frank Ragnow talked about how much Fraley means to this team, joking that he would not let him leave. Evidently, Fraley listened to his star center. He stays put after his wife broke the news writing, “Did you guys really think we would leave for Chicago?!?!? Our hearts are in Detroit!!!” The offensive line has been a key part of the offensive success over the past three seasons, and Fraley has been there since the beginning.

• Linebackers Coach Kelvin Sheppard has been promoted to Defensive Coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Aaron Glenn’s position is now filled by his protégé Kelvin Sheppard. This was my pick for DC, as Glenn has been getting Sheppard prepared for this role for quite some time now. Since 2021, Coach Sheppard has made a great impact on the linebacking corps of this team. He has done a fantastic job getting guys like Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell involved in the defense. I look for the defense to maintain its “bend but don’t break” strategy and improve once everyone comes back from the injured reserve list.

The Dan Campbell coaching tree has begun to fully sprout. The front office, led by GM Brad Holmes, along with both Dan Campbell and even QB Jared Goff, will have to do some searching to find the right guys for the team. But the Super Bowl window is far from being shut.