Report: Lions DC Teryl Austin will meet with Falcons, 49ers this week
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will interview with the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday and the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
Teams were not permitted to talk with Austin until after Detroit's wild-card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Despite losing to the Cowboys, the Lions had six sacks and ten quarterback hits.
Austin, 49, has spent just one year as Detroit's defensive coordinator. In that time, he has coached the Lions' defense to second overall, third in scoring and to the top of the league in rush defense, as well as second in the league in yards allowed per game (300.9).
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The defense recorded 42 sacks, 20 interceptions and a +7 turnover differential throughout the season and held DeMarco Murray, the league's leading rusher in the regular season, to 75 yards on 19 carries in Detroit's wild-card loss. The team finished the year with an 11-5 record, after going 7-9 and 4-12 the previous two years.
Prior to joining the Lions, Austin helped the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens earn Super Bowl appearances as a defensive backs coach. With the Ravens, he won the Super Bowl in 2012.
In addition to the Falcons and 49ers, Adam Schefter has reported that the Buffalo Bills also want to interview Austin, who has said he would try to schedule as many interviews as possible.
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Detroit head coach Jim Caldwell has called Austin "absolutely outstanding" and advised his assistant on the interview process, saying that he is "deserving" of a head coach position.
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