4 candidates to replace Duce Staley as Detroit Lions running backs coach
4. Lions special teams assistant Jett Modkins
Modkins has been an assistant to Lions special teams coach Dave Fipp for the last two seasons. He is very early in his coaching career, with one season each in small coaching positions with the Denver Broncos and at the University of Akron before coming to Detroit.
If Modkins’ last name sounds familiar, that’s because his father Curtis was Lions’ running backs coach from 2013-2015.
3. Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand
Engstrand’s future on the Lions coaching staff became a question when Steve Heiden was hired as the new tight ends coach this week. But Rogers additionally reported the now-former tight ends coach is staying with the team, and he’ll focus on the passing game coordinator role in a perceived closer audition to be offensive coordinator if Johnson leaves for a head coaching job next year.
At minimum, Engstrand feels like an easy candidate to replace Staley as assistant head coach.
Additionally, Tanner Engstrand is still with the team after the Steve Heiden hire. Engstrand will focus more on the pass-game coordinator role. That would imply a closer audition as a possible Ben Johnson replacement if he gets a head job in 2024.
— Justin Rogers (@Justin_Rogers) February 1, 2023
Engstrand has been a running backs coach before, at the University of San Diego (2007-2008) and with the DC Defenders of the XFL in 2020. He was also offensive coordinator in that latter stop, as he also was at San Diego from 2011-2017.