Meet The Detroit Lions 2026 Coaching Staff: the Lions have a new assistant head coach

The Detroit Lions have finalized their coaching staff for the 2026 season, and there are a lot more changes than we initially thought there would be going into the off-season. Let's meet the group.

Head Coach: Dan Campbell

No change here, obviously. Campbell will go into his sixth season as the Lions' head coach. That makes him the longest tenured coach the team has had since Wayne Fontes. We'll see if Campbell can right the ship again and get the Lions back on track.

Offense

Associate Head Coach/ Wide Receivers Coach: Scottie Montgomery

The Lions are lucky to have Montgomery back. He was recently up for the Ravens' offensive coordinator job, but he was not selected. Montgomery is a strong voice in the Lions locker room, and he's a big part of the success the team's skill players have had. However, he is no longer the assistant head coach. Now he is the associate Head Coach. An interesting change.

Offensive Coordinator: Drew Petzing

The excitement for Petzing has grown quite a bit in the last few weeks after the crash outs and ended, and everyone learned just what Detroit is getting. The run game is going to look great under him with some of the concepts he's bringing to town. They might keep David Montgomery because of him as well.

Passing Game Coordinator: Mike Kafka

We finally know what Kafka's role in Detroit is going to be, and it's as a passing game coordinator. This is Petzing's offense, but you can see kind of a co-coordinator type setup here with Petzing bringing his run game smarts and Kafka bringing his passing game smarts. Should be fun.

Offensive Line Coach/ Run Game Coordinator: Hank Fraley

Fraley is going to be tasked with getting the Lions' offensive line back to a level we've seen them at in recent years. He's going to have to do it with a pretty young group for the most part. There should be a lot of faith here since Fraley has been working his magic for years.

Quarterbacks Coach: Mark Brunell

Brunell goes into year six with the Lions, and it's a bit surprising that no team has attempted to steal him yet. Having Brunell in town when the Lions eventually begin their search for their quarterback of the future is the way to go.

Running Backs Coach: Tashard Choice

In conjunction with Petzing and Fraley, Choice is going to have his fingerprints all over the Lions run first offense. If the Lions can get back to business with Jahmyr Gibbs and Montgomery together, that's going to make Choice look even better than he already does.

Tight Ends Coach: Steve Oliver

Oliver has been ready for this promotion for a while now. It's going to be interesting to see how much he continues to be a part of installing trick plays like he was under Ben Johnson. Oliver could be a future offensive coordinator.

David Shaw: Pass Game Specialist

There was some expectation that Shaw might not stick with the Lions after John Morton left, but he is staying. Kafka takes his gig as pass game coordinator, but Shaw will still be doing work with the pass game.

Offenisve Assistants

• Offensive assistant: Dan Skipper
• Assistant receivers coach: Bruce Gradkowski
• Offensive Assistant: Marques Tuiasosopo
• Offensive Quality Control: Justin Mesa

Defense

Defensive Coordinator: Kelvin Sheppard

Sheppard showed a lot of promise in 2025 until the Lions just couldn't get over the injuries they were dealing with. The Lions need to stay healthy and give him some more weapons this year, and he should be right back on track.

Assistant head Coach/Safeties coach: Jim O'Neill

The Lions have a new assistant head coach, and it's Jim O'Neill. He has been with the Lions for years now after being the DC for Northwestern. This offseason, he interviewed for the eJets defensive coordinator job. He is looked at around the league as a big asset for the Lions.

Defensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator: Kacy Rogers

Rogers deserves a lot of credit for what he was able to get out of the defensive line he had last year. I don't think anyone would have expected an 11.5 sack season out of Al-Quadin Muhammad. If the Lions can get him some more help and he can get Alim McNeill back to the level we've seen him at, that would be huge.

Linebackers Coach: Shaun Dion Hamilton

The linebackers were the best-performing part of the Lions' defense last year, and Hamilton played a big role in that. Let's see if he can keep that high level of play going.

Defensive Backs Coach/ Passing Game Coordinator: Deshea Townsend

It's a big deal that Thomas Harper, Rock Ya-Sin, and Avo9nte Maddox played some of the best football of their career in 2025. Townsend had a lot to do with that.

Defensive Assitants

• Senior Defensive Assistant/Outside Linebackers: David Corrao
• Defensive Assistant: Caleb Collins
• Defensive Assistant" August Mangin
• Defensive Quality Control: Dre Thompson

Special Teams

Special Teams Coordinator: Dave Fipp

This will be Year six on the staff or Fipp. The Lions' special teams had some struggles in the early part of the 2025 season, but then they got things right back under control in the second half. Outside of the early troubles in 2025, the special teams corps has always been a bright spot in Detroit with Fipp.

Assistant Special Teams Coordinator: Jett Modkins

It was a bit surprising that Modkins didn't get hired away this offseason. He interviewed for the Buccaneers, but did not get the job. Maybe next year.