Lions Retain Coveted Coach Despite Serious Interest Elsewhere
By Cem Yolbulan
The Detroit Lions lost several key coaches to kick off the 2025 offseason. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn accepted their first head coaching gigs. As if that wasn't enough, defensive line coach Terrell Williams left for the Patriots defensive coordinator job.
Many had suspected that offensive line coach Hank Fraley would follow suit. Fraley had interviewed for the Seahawks offensive coordinator opening and was considered a candidate to follow Ben Johnson to Chicago. Instead, he is coming back to Detroit for another season, per NFL insider Tom Pelissero. The Lions are reportedly giving him a promotion to retain him as Fraley will now also be the run game coordinator for head coach Dan Campbell.
Lions Bring Back Hank Fraley Amid Departure Rumors
The #Lions are promoting Hank Fraley to run game coordinator/offensive line coach, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 24, 2025
An important piece of the puzzle staying in Detroit as Dan Campbell remodels his staff following the departure of both coordinators. pic.twitter.com/BlRJDyAWhS
This is a big win for the Lions. Keeping key coaches with organizational know-how who have proven to be good fits with the culture is important for sustained success. Finding someone as good of a fit as Fraley would have been challenging.
Fraley has been in Detroit since the 2018 offseason. he started as an assistant offensive line coach and moved up the ladder over the years. He has been a beloved member of the coaching staff ever since.
Star offensive linemen Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell both spoke very highly of Frank, pushing the organization to ensure they retained him. Considering the success the team had developing both Ragnow and Sewell, their affinity for Fraley is certainly understandable.
“No — You refuse to let Hank leave. I haven’t played in this league without Hank & I don’t plan on doing it. I’ll sabotage him. I’ll leak stories. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
— 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝟑𝟒𝟒 𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 (@Section344Lions) January 20, 2025
Frank Ragnow on how he balances wanting Hank Fraley to stay vs. his other career opportunities. pic.twitter.com/RRNHlkan5f
Over the last couple of years, Detroit's offensive line has ranked among the best in the league, contributing to the highest-scoring offense in the 2024 season. With Fraley back on the sidelines, there is no reason to believe that will change.
With one of the biggest coaching decisions taken care of, the Lions now have the two biggest hires left to make. Dan Campbell is reportedly casting a wide net in his search for new offensive and defensive coordinators, not ruling out any internal or external candidates. Regardless of who replaces Ben Johnson as the OC, they will have Hank Fraley who they can rely on to make the transition smoother.
More Lions news and rumors:
feed