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The Detroit Lions have moved another step closer to completing their coaching staff. According to Alex Marvez, the Lions have hired former Boise State offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Robert Prince to be their new wide receivers coach. He replaces Tim Lappano, who was let go by the Lions when Jim Schwartz was fired a day after completing the 2013 season.
Prince joins the Lions after spending the last three seasons at Boise State. This was actually his second stint with Boise State, and he served as the offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. He was the wide receivers coach for all three seasons during his second stint at Boise State, but he was not retained by the program's new head coach.
Before returning to Boise State, Prince spent several years in the NFL. He was an offensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons from 2004-06, and he helped coach quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends during that time. In 2007, Prince was hired as the Jacksonville Jaguars' assistant wide receivers coach, and he spent two seasons in that role. In 2009, he left for the Seattle Seahawks to be their wide receivers coach, and he spent one year with them before returning to the college ranks as Colorado's passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
With Prince joining the staff, it appears that the only remaining opening is at quarterbacks coach. However, it's not clear if the Lions are even planning to hire a dedicated quarterbacks coach with Jim Caldwell and Joe Lombardi more than capable of filling that role. If the Lions aren't going to hire a quarterbacks coach, then their coaching staff has already basically been finalized.
(Also, yes, the Lions now have a Robert Prince and Ron Prince coaching their wide receivers and tight ends. Holy confusing.)
