The Detroit Lions have fired special-teams coordinator Brayden Coombs with two games remaining in the regular season, a move described by a source within the franchise as being made because of a cultural clash with what the organization is trying to build.
The final decision was made Monday — a day after the team called a fake punt in the fourth quarter that C.J. Moore was just short of converting. That play, the source said, was called without knowledge of anyone else — including coaches and some players on the field at the time.
“He’s not a culture fit,” the source said.
The fake punt, the source said, was the final straw in a decision that had been potentially brewing for a while. Coombs executed the fake punt without going through the proper channels.
Special-teams assistant Marquice Williams will take over for Coombs as the coordinator for the final two games of the season. Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell is expected to speak with the media later Monday in his regularly scheduled news conference.
The Lions, under Coombs, were No. 3 in the NFL in punting (49.27 yards) and No. 2 in net punting average (45.27) with first-year punter Jack Fox. The Lions are No. 11 in the league in kick return (23.79) and No. 16 in punt return (9.00). Veteran kicker Matt Prater, though, has struggled this season, making just 20 of 27 field goals (74.1 percent) and 35 of 37 extra points.
Detroit returner Jamal Agnew took to Twitter to seemingly react to news of Coombs’ firing.
What we doin man, cmon
— Mal (@jamalagnew) December 21, 2020
This move is the latest in an organizational shake-up that saw Detroit fire head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn on Nov. 28. The Lions have already interviewed four candidates to replace Quinn — in-house front office candidates Kyle O’Brien, Lance Newmark and Rob Lohman along with ESPN analyst and former Philadelphia and Washington front office executive Louis Riddick.