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Teryl Austin to be Detroit Lions' defensive coordinator

Published: Jan 16, 2014 at 03:43 AM

Chris Wesseling

Around The NFL Podcast Co-Host

The Detroit Lions hired head coach Jim Caldwell to steer Matthew Stafford's career after a mistake-filled 2013 season.

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Now they have an up-and-coming defensive coach to continue the development of talented young players such as Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.

People informed of the Lions' thinking have told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport that Ravens secondary coach Teryl Austin has reached an agreement to become Caldwell's defensive coordinator.

This will be Austin's first opportunity to run a defense. In addition to their two years together in Baltimore, Austin worked with Caldwell at Penn State and Wake Forest in the 1990s.

Austin is already interviewing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan and Houston Texans secondary coach Vance Joseph for assistant coach jobs, per Rapoport.

Austin's history with defensive backs bodes well for an organization that had trouble developing quality cornerbacks under the Jim Schwartz-Gunther Cunningham regime.

The best news for Lions fans is that Caldwell and Austin are expected to keep the 4-3 scheme in place. Suh, Fairley and 2013 team defensive MVP DeAndre Levy are all best suited to the 4-3. Changing schemes would have set this team back years on defense.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" interviews Carolina Panthers star Greg Hardy and looks ahead to the conference title games.

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