Lions Fire Special Teams Coordinator Brayden Coombs

Detroit Lions make surprising coaching change, as special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs has been fired

Coaching changes are expected when a new regime is brought in. 

For Detroit, the changes have started early, as special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs has been fired, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. 

"Per a source, this was an organizational decision that had been building, and culminated with his decision yesterday to call for a fake punt," Birkett tweeted Monday morning.

In Week 15 against the Titans, Coombs reportedly called for a fake punt, without interim head coach Darrell Bevell's knowledge or approval. 

Bevell then made the decision to fire Coombs, and team president Rod Wood approved the decision.

The move comes as quite the surprise, as Coombs was widely regarded as a young and bright assistant who had the potential to ascend to the level of a head coach in the National Football League.

Coombs worked in various roles with the Cincinnati Bengals prior to joining Detroit, including as an offensive assistant (2012), a quality control assistant (2013-15), a defensive quality control assistant (2016-17) and an offensive quality control assistant (2018). He originally joined the Bengals in 2009 as a coaching intern. 

He played for the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks for four seasons at the wide receiver position.

Coombs replaced John Bonamego in Detroit, who was dismissed after the 2019 season. 

Marquice Williams will take over the responsibilities of special teams coordinator for the remaining two games on Detroit's schedule. 

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