The Lions coaching staff continues to churn even after the team formally introduced new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to season ticket holders earlier in the week.
Assistant special teams coach Devin Fitzsimmons has left the Lions to join the overhauled coaching staff at Vanderbilt University. According to The Tennessean, Fitzsimmons will be the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach for the Commodores.
Interestingly, Fitzsimmons is replacing Shawn Mennenga at Vanderbilt. Mennenga left the college ranks to join Lions rival Green Bay as the Packers’ special teams coach.
Fitzsimmons started 2018 as the Lions assistant special teams coach but took over as the interim coordinator following the midseason sacking of Joe Marciano. He did a solid job, as the coverage units improved and the penalty rate declined.
The Lions have not yet announced a replacement. The new special teams coordinator is John Bonamego, who also previously held the job with Detroit before leaving to become the head coach at Central Michigan.
