Detroit Lions announce 2022 coaching staff changes, 3 new hires

On Friday, the Detroit Lions announced their full coaching staff for the 2022 NFL season. As expected, it includes a few changes they had already announced to the media. Ben Johnson is the new offensive coordinator, Tanner Engstrand is taking Johnson’s place as tight ends coach (and also taking on extra responsibility as passing game coordinator), and Kelvin Sheppard is moving from outside linebackers coach to just linebackers coach after Detroit parted ways with Mark DeLeone.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ full coaching staff for the 2022 season. Changes from last year are bolded, with an explanation of what changed.

Dan Campbell – Head Coach

Offense

Duce Staley – Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs
Ben Johnson – Offensive Coordinator — Promoted from TE coach
Mark Brunell – Quarterbacks
Antwaan Randle El – Wide Receivers
Seth Ryan – Assistant Wide Receivers
Hank Fraley – Offensive Line
Tanner Engstrand – Tight Ends/Passing Game Coordinator — Promoted from offensive assistant
Steve Oliver – Offensive Quality Control
John Morton – Senior Offensive Assistant — New hire
DeOn’tae Pannell – WCF Minority Coaching Assistantship

Defense

Aaron Glenn – Defensive Coordinator
Todd Wash – Defensive Line
Cameron Davis – Assistant Defensive Line — New hire
David Corrao – Defensive Assistant/Outside Linebackers —Promoted from defensive assistant
Kelvin Sheppard – Linebackers
Aubrey Pleasant – Defensive Backs/Pass Game Coordinator
Brian Duker – Safeties —Promoted from defensive assistant
Wayne Blair – Defensive Quality Control — New hire
Stephen Thomas – Defensive Quality Control

Special teams

Jett Modkins – Assistant Special Teams
Dave Fipp – Special Teams Coordinator

Strength and conditioning

Mike Clark – Director of Sports Performance
Jill Costanza – Director of Sports Science
Josh Schuler – Head Strength & Conditioning
Morris Henry – Assistant Strength & Conditioning
Kevin Anderson – Chief of Staff/Head Coach Administration

As you can see, there are three new hires to the coaching squad: senior offensive assistant John Morton, assistant defensive line coach Cameron Davis, and defensive quality control coach Wayne Blair.

Morton—who is not the former Lions receiver—has been in the NFL coaching ranks since 1998. His more prominent positions include Jets offensive coordinator in 2017, 49ers wide receivers coach/passing game coach from 2011-14 and most recently serving as the senior offensive assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders (2019-21).

Davis’ hiring was leaked earlier this month, and we wrote more about him here. Long story short, this is his first crack at coaching at the NFL level, but former Raiders CEO Amy Trask vouched for him after he served in an internship role early in his career.

Blair actually spent 2021 in Lions training camp under their “Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship” program, but this will be his first full year of professional coaching. He played linebacker at Tulane, and had a brief playing career in the CFL.