Lions assistant head coach Duce Staley departing to take job with Panthers

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions coaching staff continues to undergo offseason changes, as running backs coach and assistant head coach Duce Staley is departing to join the Carolina Panthers, a source familiar with the move confirmed to The Detroit News.

In Carolina, Staley will reconnect with the recently hired Frank Reich. The two previously worked together for two seasons in Philadelphia, winning a Super Bowl in 2018, with Reich as the offensive coordinator and Staley serving as the team's running backs coach.

Staley's role with the Panthers is still to be determined. At the very least, he'll have the same dual role he did with the Lions, but there remains a possibility he could end up as Reich's offensive coordinator. Even without the added title, the Lions granted Staley permission to leave so he could be closer to his mother, who has been battling some recent health issues, in South Carolina.

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Staley joined the Lions in 2021 after a decade on the Eagles staff, where after an eight-year playing career, he began working as a special-teams assistant and worked up to the assistant head coach title.

"Getting the call from Coach (Dan) Campbell, I mean, he was super excited on the phone," Staley said shortly after he was hired. "I felt the energy through the phone. And then (defensive coordinator) Aaron Glenn, he was like, 'Hey man, we're building something special here. We want you to be a part of it.' When I got those two phone calls, man, I'm telling you, after being in Philadelphia for so long, each year I would get phone calls or opportunities to see what was out there, interest from other clubs, of course, but when those two guys reached out to me, it felt good, it felt right, and I was happy to be a part of this and I couldn't wait to get here."

Under Staley, the Lions had two of the franchise's best rushing seasons in more than 20 years, gaining 1,886 yards in 2021 and 2,179 last season, behind the first 1,000-yard season of Jamaal Williams' career.

In addition to Staley's departure, the Lions recently hired longtime Cardinals tight end coach Steve Heiden to work in the same capacity here. Tanner Engstrand, who coached the tight ends in Detroit last season, will remain with the organization and focus on coordinating the pass game under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers