The Detroit Lions showed significant improvement in their secondary after a midseason coaching change last year, and the man who took over as the primary defensive backs coach is being rewarded.
The Lions announced the previously reported hire of Scottie Montgomery as running backs coach Wednesday and shuffled the roles of several other assistants on staff.
Brian Duker, who coached safeties last season and worked in an elevated capacity after the midseason firing of Aubrey Pleasant, will coach defensive backs in 2023.
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Duker spent three seasons as a defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens in 2018-20 and joined the Lions as a defensive assistant in 2021. He worked as an intern with the Cleveland Browns in 2015, when Lions defensive coordiantor Aaron Glenn was the team’s assistant secondary coach.
The Lions had the worst defense in the NFL during their 1-6 start last season, but held six of their final 10 opponents below 20 points. They had 10 interceptions in their final 10 games after recording just two in September and October combined.
Along with Duker’s promotion, the Lions consolidated Tanner Engstrand’s duties as passing game coordinator, after he both coordinated the passing game and coached tight ends last season; they previously hired Steve Heiden as tight ends coach.
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The Lions also promoted Steve Oliver to assistant offensive line coach, J.T. Barrett to assistant quarterbacks coach and Shaun Dion Hamilton to assistant linebackers coach.
Oliver was an offensive quality control assistant last season, Barrett was an offensive assistant and Hamilton was the team’s minority coaching intern after joining the staff following his training camp release as a player.
Dre Thompson, who spent last season as a coaching fellow with the Denver Broncos and coached cornerbacks for the University of Buffalo in 2021, joins the Lions as a minority intern/defensive quality control assistant.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.