The Detroit Lions have hired Mark Brunell as their quarterbacks coach, the first NFL coaching job for the 19-year veteran who last played in the league in 2011.
Brunell is expected to be the guardian of the Lions’ starting quarterback in more than a decade, as Detroit is looking to change Matthew Stafford, the team’s signal since 2009, after he and the franchise mutually agreed on a division. earlier this month. .
Brunell has the experience to play, at least to potentially do so. He played most of his career in Jacksonville, starting 117 games over nine seasons beginning in 1995. He entered the league in 1993 as the fifth round of the Green Bay Packers.
He was in Jacksonville in 2003 and then with the New York Jets in 2010 and 2011 where he crossed paths with Detroit’s new offensive coordinator, Anthony Lynn, who at the time was the runners ’coach. In 2009, Brunell played for the New Orleans Saints during the last year of new Lions coach Dan Campbell in the NFL. Brunell also played in Washington for three seasons.
Brunell played 193 running games (151 starts), completing 59.5% of his passes for 32,072 yards, 184 touchdowns and 108 interceptions. After retiring, Brunell was the head coach of the Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Florida, mentoring the quarterbacks who entered the NFL draft and a radio host at WJXT in Jacksonville.
Detroit also announced the hiring of Duce Staley as assistant head coach / race coach, the same title he had in Philadelphia since the 2018 season. Staley spent ten seasons as a coach with the Eagles, after retiring. of his 10-year career playing in the NFL.
Staley was interviewed for the Eagles head coach job after Doug Pederson was fired earlier this month.
Brunell and Staley are the last Lions coaches to play in the NFL. Campbell played ten years in the league, Lynn set, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn 15 and offensive line coach Hank Fraley 11.