Advertisement

Detroit Lions hiring Flint native Aubrey Pleasant as DBs coach: Report

Dan Campbell's coaching staff is falling into place.

Los Angeles Rams secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant is joining the Detroit Lions as defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator, NFL Network reported Monday.

Pleasant, a Flint native, starred at Flint Montrose and Wisconsin before joining the coaching ranks. He spent two seasons working with defensive backs at Michigan before jumping to the NFL in 2013.

May 21, 2018; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant during organized team activities at Cal Lutheran University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
May 21, 2018; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant during organized team activities at Cal Lutheran University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With the Rams, Pleasant coached cornerbacks for four seasons and helped make L.A.'s secondary one of the best in the NFL.

[ Dan Campbell may be 'the only guy that can resurrect' the Lions. Here's why ]

The Rams led the NFL in pass defense (190.7 ypg), total defense (281.9 ypg) and scoring defense (18.5 ppg) and had 14 interceptions this year.

Along with Pleasant, Campbell has hired his one-time Dallas Cowboys teammate, Aaron Glenn at defensive coordinator, added Anthony Lynn as offensive coordinator and retained Hank Fraley as offensive line coach.

The Lions reportedly are hiring Duce Staley as running backs coach, and are expected to add Dave Fipp as special teams coordinator and Mike Clark as strength and conditioning coach.

[ Ranking Matthew Stafford's potential suitors, and what Detroit Lions might get in a trade ]

Fipp and Campbell coached together with the Miami Dolphins, Clark was Campbell's strength coach at Texas A&M, and Glenn, Lynn, Fraley and Staley all played in the NFL.

Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp said last week that she viewed it as "definitely a positive, positive factor" that Campbell had experience as an NFL player.

"I think players will respect what he’s saying because they know that he’s been there, and he’s done it," she said.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions nab Aubrey Pleasant as DB coach from Rams: Report