Detroit Lions DBs Coach Brian Duker is Heading to the Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are expected to hire Brian Duker, the coach of the Detroit Lions’ DBs, as their next secondary coach and pass game coordinator, according to NFL source Tom Pelissero. This is unexpected news, especially considering that there had been rumors circulating that the Lions will keep their whole coaching staff through to the 2024 campaign.

Duker’s NFL Journey

After spending the last three seasons with the Lions, where he most recently served as the defensive backs coach, Duker has been a rising star in the coaching world. Duker, who will initially join the organization in 2021 as a defensive assistant, had already had contact with the Lions coaching staff when working as an intern with the Cleveland Browns in 2015, when assistant secondary coach Aaron Glenn, the team’s current defensive coordinator, was in that role.

Following the departure of Aubry Pleasant, Duker was elevated to the position of safeties coach in 2022 and assumed additional duties. In 2023, he was promoted to defensive backs coach in recognition of his leadership and expertise. Dre Bly was hired to help with the cornerbacks in this new capacity.

The move of Brian Duker from the Detroit Lions to the Miami Dolphins demonstrates how NFL coaching staffs are always evolving. The Lions will lose his knowledge and style of secondary coaching, but the Dolphins will surely gain from it as they look to improve their defensive performance. This action not only marks a turning point in Duker’s coaching career, but it also demonstrates how NFL teams’ methods are always changing and always trying to get better.