Detroit Lions top 5 offseason priorities
Aug 15, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin during the game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
3. Keep Defensive Coordinator, Teryl Austin
The name Teryl Austin has become a hot commodity around the NFL, and for good reason too. In his first year as a defensive coordinator in Detroit, (or anywhere for that fact) Austin transformed what was an average defense the year prior in to the No. 2 overall squad in the league.
Austin’s aggressive, press, man-coverage schemes should be given a lot of the credit for the Lions success this year, though there was also a lot of talent in place as well. The transformation of the Detroit D has drawn the attention of general managers from coast to coast, and Austin now has now gone through three interviews for head coaching duties. Thursday he was in San Francisco, Friday he was in Atlanta, and Saturday he will be in Buffalo.
The Lions however would love nothing more that to keep Austin in the Motor City, and head coach Jim Caldwell had this to say on the matter:
"“I do think he has all of the qualities that you’re looking for,” Caldwell said. “Two of the things I think for dynamic leadership that you’re looking at are precepts and percepts. One, the precepts being the technical knowledge and being able to understand exactly what you’re doing in your chosen profession. He’s excellent at that. The percepts are, does he have the emotional sort of connection with his players to sort of get them to do what he wants to. Does he have it when he needs it? He has that.”"
Austin’s defense is the reason the Lions made the playoffs. Certainly it wasn’t the offense. In 2013, before Austin took over the defense, the Lions were ranked No. 15 in the NFL, allowing 23.5 points per game. This year, with Austin in charge of the defense, the Lions ranked third in the league, allowing 17.6 points per game.
Mayhew praising Teryl Austin, said he did a "phenomenal job" and that he is "capable of being a head coach in the NFL." #Lions
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) January 8, 2015
If the Lions cannot retain Austin, he will be sorely missed in Detroit.
Next: The Offensive Line needs work. (A lot of it)