According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Miami Dolphins are expected to hire Brian Duker, the Detroit Lions’ DB coach, as their new secondary coach and pass game coordinator. This news comes as a surprise, especially because previous rumors indicated that the Lions were set to keep their whole coaching staff for the 2024 season.
Duker has been a rising star in the coaching ranks, having spent the last three seasons with the Lions, his most recent post as defensive backs coach. Duker, who will join the organization as a defensive assistant in 2021, first met the Lions’ coaching staff when working as an intern for the Cleveland Browns in 2015, when Lions’ current defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was an assistant secondary coach.
Duker was elevated to safeties coach in 2022, taking on greater responsibilities with the retirement of Aubry Pleasant. His leadership and expertise were further recognized in 2023 with his promotion to defensive backs coach, which was supplemented by the hire of Dre Bly to assist with cornerbacks.
Brian Duker’s move from the Detroit Lions to the Miami Dolphins exemplifies the constantly changing environment of NFL coaching staffs. The Lions will miss his experience and approach to secondary coaching, but the Dolphins will definitely benefit from it as they look to improve their defensive play. This move not only marks a key milestone in Duker’s coaching career, but it also highlights the dynamic nature of NFL team plans and their ongoing pursuit for better.