Lions officially hire three new defensive coaches

[DSF]

The Detroit Lions filled out their 2024 coaching staff by hiring three new additions.

Deshea Townsend and Terrell Williams were already known to be joining the team. Townsend takes over as the defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator for the Lions. He spent the last two seasons in those same roles for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Williams was hired back in January, but the move to appoint him as the new defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator is now officially recognized. The longtime DL coach was previously with the Tennessee Titans. He was once Lions GM Brad Holmes’ position coach in the college ranks.

The third hire is one that hadn’t been previously revealed. Jim O’Neil joins the Lions as a defensive assistant. O’Neil has been in the coaching ranks at a number of stops since 2001 and was most recently the defensive coordinator at Northwestern. He’s primarily worked with defensive backs but did spend two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.

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