The reported hirings of Terrell Williams and Deshea Townsend this offseason have linked the Detroit Lions to two coaching acquisitions; but, it now appears, for the first time since their season concluded, that they have lost one of their coaches to South Beach.
Brian Duker, the defensive back coach for the Lions, is reportedly leaving Detroit to take a position with the Miami Dolphins, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. In addition to coaching the Dolphins’ defensive backs, Duker will also serve as the passing game coordinator, according to Pelissero.
Coach Dan Campbell first hired Duker in 2021, when he was a defensive assistant who closely collaborated with the Lions secondary. His tenure in Cleveland as an intern for the Browns in 2015, when current defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn of the Lions was an assistant secondary coach, was one of his connections to the coaching staff.
Following Aubry Pleasant’s mid-season dismissal, he was elevated to the position of safeties coach in 2022 and took charge of the whole Lions secondary. He received a formal promotion to defensive backs coach in 2023, and Dre Bly was hired to help him work with the cornerbacks.
Renaldo Hill was hired by the Dolphins in 2023 to oversee their passing game and coach defense backs. As of this writing, Hill is still listed on the team’s roster, and there have been no rumors regarding his future there. It’s important to note that Hill joined the Dolphins to work with Vic Fangio, who left his position as defensive coordinator to take a similar position with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Teams frequently make coaching changes similar to this, delaying hiring announcements until after they have completed all required staff adjustments.
For instance, the Lions are probably in the process of rearranging positions on their staff as they have not made public the rumored hirings of Williams and Townsend. The Lions will probably unveil their reformed coaching staff for the 2024 campaign after those decisions are made.
