Who’s Coaching the Detroit Lions This Saturday?
COVID-19 has struck the Detroit Lions' organization and that means that means that when they take the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, they'll be doing so with a hodge-podge coaching staff.
Interim head coach Darrell Bevell, defensive coordinator Cory Undlin, defensive line coach Bo Davis, defensive backs coach Steve Gregory and linebackers coach Ty McKenzie will not be able to coach Saturday due to COVID-19 protocols.
ESPN reports that Bevell had asked for the game to be pushed back, stating that the entire coaching staff would be eligible to coach on Sunday. The NFL declined.
Instead, the Lions' head coach for Saturday will be wide receivers coach Robert Prince. Quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan will serve as the offensive play caller, and head coach assistant/research & analysis guru Even Rothstein will be the defensive play caller.
Defensive assistant Tony Carter will serve as the defensive backs coach, David Corrao (director of football research) will coach the linebackers, and Ty Warren (Wiliam Clay Ford minority coaching assistant) will coach the defensive line.
Prince taking the helm on Saturday will mark the third head coach for the Lions this season. ESPN reports that the only other time that a team has had three head coaches in one season was in 1978 when the New England Patriots' head coach Chuck Fairbanks was suspended for a game and Hank Bullough and Ron Erhardt served as co-head coaches.
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