A general view of the Detroit Lions helmet during the game against the New York Giants at Ford Field David Reginek-Imagn Images

Lions Expected to Lose Tight Ends Coach to College

Originally posted on Detroit Lions on SI | Last updated Dec 9, 2025 6:09 PM ET

The Detroit Lions could be losing a member of their coaching staff as the college football coaching carousel begins to spin.

A new report states that Lions tight ends coach Tyler Roehl is expected to take the offensive coordinator position at Iowa State University. The timeline for Roehl's departure is uncertain as of publication, though the report states that he remains with the team currently ahead of their matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. Roehl's hire has not yet been officially announced by the university.

Roehl joined the Lions' coaching staff this past offseason as a replacement for Steve Heiden, who departed to become the offensive line coach with the New York Jets under former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

The Lions hired Roehl in 2025 after previously interviewing him for a coaching position in 2023, and have a connection dating back to 2021. That year, Campbell attended the Pro Day of North Dakota State, where Roehl was serving as an assistant coach, to scout highly touted quarterback Trey Lance.

In his first opportunity to meet with the media upon being hired, Roehl expressed his admiration for the organization, its head coach and its culture.

"This offseason, we got back in touch and one thing led to another and I got this opportunity. (It's) something that I've worked hard for," Roehl said at his introductory press conference. "As a coach, you're always telling your players, 'Get outside your comfort zone. Grow. Push to be your best.' When this opportunity came, I was really happy at Iowa State. Me, my family, we could've been really comfortable. But when you have the opportunity to coach the tight ends of the Detroit Lions, it was something that I sprinted towards. The vision here, the culture, the environment, what this all entails is just something that I was very grateful to get."

Under Roehl's tutelage, both Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright had strong starts to the season. Unfortunately, both players have had their momentum halted by injuries in recent weeks. The depth at the position has taken a hit as a result.

Roehl will return to Iowa State, where he was the assistant head coach under Matt Campbell last season prior to making the jump to the professional ranks. He also has offensive coordinator experience from his time at North Dakota State.

He will now join the coaching staff of Jimmy Rogers at ISU, who replaced Campbell. Roehl has familiarity with Rogers, who was previously the head coach at South Dakota State and competed against Roehl while he was coaching at North Dakota State.

Rogers was hired on Dec. 8, days after Campbell departed to take the head coaching position at Penn State.

This article first appeared on Detroit Lions on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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