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Lions Coach Leaving to Take Patriots' Defensive Coordinator Job

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By John Vaccaro | Last updated Jan 22, 2025 11:43 AM ET

It's starting to feel like the Detroit Lions' coaching staff is going to be unrecognizable by the end of the month.

They've already lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Bears.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is expected to be the next Lions coach to get a head coaching job.

Offensive line coach Hank Fraley had a second interview with the Seahawks yesterday about their offensive coordinator role.

Now the Lions have lost another coach to one of this offseason's open jobs.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, sources told him and Mike Reiss that Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams would be taking the New England Patriots' defensive coordinator job.

Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams, who worked with Mike Vrabel in Tennessee from 2018-2023, is leaving Detroit to become the Patriots defensive coordinator, sources tell @MikeReiss and me.

Vrabel thought so highly of Williams that he had him serve as head coach of the… pic.twitter.com/sZdeQoT6NL
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 22, 2025

This move doesn't come as a big surprise as Williams has history with new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

He spent the entirety of Vrabel's tenure in Tennessee as the Titans' defensive line coach. In 2023 he was also Vrabel's assistant head coach.

Williams then joined the Lions for the 2024 season after the Titans let Vrabel go.

Williams' D-line was an average unit against the run, but excelled at creating pressure on opposing QBs. They were fourth in the league with a pressure rate of 26.2%.

They just struggled to turn that pressure into sacks without star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

Now the Lions will have to figure out how to keep that pressure rate up with their fourth new defensive line coach in as many years.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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