After pushing to hire New Orleans Saints coach Aaron Glenn to be the next defensive coordinator – a move that is not yet complete, but the Lions are ESPN’s “clear favorite” Jeremy Fowler – The Detroit Lions are now running to a potential offensive coordinator.
The NFL network Tom Pelissero reports that the Lions interviewed Baltimore Ravens quarterback coach James Urban on Wednesday for their role as offensive coordinator.
Urban began his NFL coaching career in 2004 with the Philadelphia Eagles under then-coach Andy Reid. He started as Eagles assistant head coach in 2004-06, then moved to offensive assistant and quality control roles in 2007-08 and eventually won a quarterback coach role in 2009- 10 – collaborating with defenders Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick.
In 2011, he joined the Marvin Lewis team of the Cincinnati Bengals as a wide receiver coach and held this role for the next seven years. During the 2012-15 seasons, he worked directly with Lions receivers Marvin Jones Jr. and Mohamad Sanu.
In 2018, Urban joined John Harbaugh’s Ravens as QB coach and was immediately tasked with coaching Look Jackson, then a debutant. Jackson’s technique and footwork were considered cruel when he joined the league and, under Urban’s tutelage, helped the young signal caller add layers to his overall game. In 2019, Jackson was the league’s MVP.
Urban is appreciated throughout the league, he is considered an extremely intelligent coach who can effectively communicate his message. His connections with three established head coaches and the record for developing players is something that is certainly very attractive for lei.