BREAKING: Detroit Lions hire special teams coordinator

Bonamego returns to Detroit after most recently serving as the head coach at Central Michigan University for four seasons (2015-18) following two seasons as the Lions special teams coordinator (2013-14). He led the Chippewas to a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title in 2015 and helped CMU to bowl appearances in each of his first three seasons.

Bonamego brings 16 previous years of experience as a coach in the National Football League. He entered the NFL coaching ranks in 1999 as an assistant special teams coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars and went on to serve as special teams coordinator for the Green Bay Packers (2003-05), New Orleans Saints (2006-07), Miami Dolphins (2008-10) and again with the Jaguars in 2012. He began his coaching career in 1987 as an assistant coach at Mount Pleasant (Mich.) High School before spending 11 years coaching in the college ranks at Maine (1988-91), Lehigh (1992) and Army (1993-98).

A Waynesboro, Pa. native, Bonamego graduated from Paw Paw (Mich.) High School before moving on to Central Michigan, where he played wide receiver and quarterback. In 1987, he earned a degree in health fitness from CMU. He and his wife, Paulette, have three children – Javier, Giovanni and Bellina.

BONUS CONTENT:

Kerryon Johnson is fired up about Detroit Lions’ new OC Darrell Bevell

On Wednesday, the Detroit Lions shocked just about everybody by announcing that Darrell Bevell would be their next offensive coordinator. Bevell’s name was rarely (if at all) mentioned as a potential candidate by the so-called “experts” and it was fun to watch the comments on social media flow in about whether or not it was the right hire.

One person excited about the hire is Lions’ running back Kerryon Johnson. Johnson spoke to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about his anticipation of playing for Bevell, a coach who has worked with running backs like Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch.

By most accounts, Bevell is a run-first offensive coordinator and that has Johnson hoping it means more touches for him.

“Obviously with my position, that makes me excited and I hope that is the direction we try to go in,” Johnson said. “But regardless of the direction I want us to go in, it’s about the team and how we win games. So if he wants to bring that and that’s where we go with it, that’s where we go with it. If not, if he sees our team go in a different direction and that’s what we do, as long as we win, I’m fine.”

Johnson, who missed the end of his rookie season with a sprained knee said he is healed up and ready to roll.

During his rookie campaign, Johnson showed flashes of greatness as he rushed for 641 yards (5.4 per attempt) and three touchdowns while adding 213 yards and another touchdown receiving.

If Kerryon can stay healthy, you can bet your bottom dollar that those stats will improve greatly in 2019.