In case you needed your Detroit Lions fix for the day, we have you covered.
Just moments ago, the Lions dropped a press release announcing their coaching staff for the 2020 season.
Via Detroit Lions:
2020 DETROIT LIONS COACHING STAFF
Matt Patricia – Head Coach
Darrell Bevell – Offensive Coordinator
Cory Undlin – Defensive Coordinator
Brayden Coombs – Special Teams Coordinator
Kyle Caskey – Running Backs
Tony Carter – Defensive Assistant
David Corrao – Director of Football Research
Bo Davis – Defensive Line
Hank Fraley – Offensive Line
Steve Gregory – Defensive Backs
Morris Henry – Assistant Strength & Conditioning
Ben Johnson – Tight Ends
Tom Kanavy – Assistant Strength & Conditioning
Tyrone McKenzie – Linebackers
Robert Prince – Wide Receivers
Evan Rothstein – Head Coach Assistant/Research & Analysis
Sean Ryan – Quarterbacks
Josh Schuler – Head Strength & Conditioning
Stephen Thomas – Defensive Quality Control
Ty Warren – WCF Minority Coaching Assistantship
Leon Washington – WCF Minority Coaching Assistantship/Offense
Marquice Williams – Assistant Special Teams
Billy Yates – Assistant Offensive Line
NEW HIRES
TONY CARTER – DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT
Carter joins Detroit’s coaching staff as a defensive assistant after spending the 2019 season as the cornerbacks coach at Jacksonville University. In 2018, he was a member of the Oakland Raiders coaching staff through the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, and has also completed college coaching internships with Mississippi State, Georgia and Tennessee. Carter played eight seasons in the NFL for the Denver Broncos (2009, 2011-14), New England Patriots (2010), Minnesota Vikings (2011), Indianapolis Colts (2015) and New Orleans Saints (2015-16) after concluding his collegiate career at Florida State.
MORRIS HENRY – ASSISTANT STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH
Henry comes to Detroit after spending the last four seasons (2016-19) with the Auburn football program as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. He spent 2015 as a graduate assistant in the strength and conditioning program at Tulsa after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Morehead State in 2014. He played four seasons (2011-14) as a defensive back at Morehead State and completed an internship at the EXOS training facility in Pensacola, Fla. as an undergrad.
TOM KANAVY – ASSISTANT STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH
Kanavy comes to Detroit after most recently serving as the director of sports performance at Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance. He served on the Tennessee Titans’ strength and conditioning staff from the 2015-18 seasons, including as the head strength and conditioning coach in 2018. After serving as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Philadelphia Eagles from the 1995-2005 seasons, Kanavy served as the head strength and conditioning coach of the Minnesota Vikings from the 2006-13 seasons. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State in 1993 before obtaining his master’s degree at Temple in 1998.
TYRONE McKENZIE – LINEBACKERS COACH
McKenzie joins the Lions after spending the 2018-19 seasons as the Tennessee Titans’ inside linebackers coach. Prior to joining the Titans, McKenzie served as an assistant special teams coach/defensive consultant for the Los Angeles Rams. Before entering the NFL coaching ranks, he was a member of Stanford’s coaching staff as the assistant defensive line/quality control coach (2016) and also served as the outside linebackers/assistant special teams coach at Colorado (2015). After being drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round (97th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft out of South Florida, McKenzie spent five years as a linebacker with the Patriots (2009-10), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2010) and Minnesota Vikings (2011-13).
TY WARREN – WCF MINORITY COACHING ASSISTANTSHIP
Warren joins the Lions for his first coaching position following time as a volunteer assistant with the team in 2019. Selected by the New England Patriots in the first round (13th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, he earned two Super Bowl championships and one First-Team AP All-Pro selection with the Patriots (2003-10) before concluding his career with the Denver Broncos (2011-12).
PROMOTIONS
STEVE GREGORY – DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH
Gregory was promoted to defensive backs coach after originally joining the Lions as a defensive assistant in 2018.
Prior to Detroit, he served as the special teams/quality control coach at his alma mater, Syracuse, in 2015. Gregory played eight seasons in the NFL, spending his first six (2006-11) with the San Diego Chargers and finishing his career with the New England Patriots (2012-13).
BEN JOHNSON – TIGHT ENDS COACH
Johnson was promoted to tight ends coach after originally joining the Lions early in the 2019 season as an offensive quality control coach. Prior to Detroit, Johnson spent seven seasons (2012-18) with the Miami Dolphins in a variety of offensive coaching roles, including tight ends coach in 2015. His first coaching experience came at Boston College (2009-11), where he spent his first two seasons as a graduate assistant before being promoted to tight ends coach in 2011. Johnson played four seasons as a quarterback at North Carolina after walking on to the team in 2004.
JOSH SCHULER – HEAD STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH
Schuler was promoted to head strength and conditioning coach after originally joining the Lions as an assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2016. Prior to Detroit, Schuler spent three seasons (2012-15) as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for football at the United States Naval Academy, and three seasons (2010-12) with the University of Colorado, where he worked with various sport programs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in health and human performance from Iowa State in 2007 before serving as a graduate assistant at Auburn (2008-09), where he went on to earn a master’s degree in adult education.
