Eight OC Candidates Lions Could Hire to Replace John Morton

Who could Lions hire as next offensive coordinator?

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For the second straight year, the Detroit Lions are in the market for an offensive coordinator.

The team parted ways with John Morton after one season on Tuesday. Though the team remained near the top of the league in scoring and total yards, there were underlying issues surrounding inconsistency and struggles on third-down. As a result, head coach Dan Campbell elected to move on.

Detroit's offensive coordinator position should be one of the most appealing available, as they feature an All-Pro receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown, one of the game's most electric backs in Jahmyr Gibbs, a stable veteran quarterback in Jared Goff and numerous other threats.

One caveat that could impact the pool of candidates is whether or not Campbell wants to relinquish play-calling duties. The fifth-year head coach called plays from Week 10 through the end of the season.

Here are seven candidates to replace Morton after the Lions’ decision to part ways with him after one season.

Internal candidates

Scottie Montgomery

Previous position: Assistant head coach/Wide receivers coach

Montgomery was floated as a potential candidate for this opening last year, as he has been one of the standouts amongst the assistants. He has done solid work since joining Detroit’s staff, first as the running backs coach and now with the receivers.

In addition to the work he did in 2024 with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, he transitioned seamlessly to the wide receiver room after the hiring of Tashard Choice. He helped Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams grow and observed both wideouts surpass 1,000 yards in 2025. He has worked closely with Campbell in the assistant head coach role, and could bring an element of continuity to the staff with a promotion.

David Shaw

Previous position: Passing game coordinator

Shaw was one of the Lions’ new additions last season and is regarded as one of the team’s top offensive assistants. Formerly a head coach at Stanford, he had spent the previous season in the Baltimore Ravens’ front office.

He was an on-field assistant this season, meaning he was working with Campbell closely on game days. He has never been an NFL offensive coordinator, but was a coordinator for four seasons under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford before taking over the head coaching role. 

Hank Fraley

Previous position: Offensive line coach/Run game coordinator

Fraley is another mainstay of the Lions' coaching staff, and he earned a well-deserved promotion prior to the 2025 season as the run game coordinator. With his ability to lead the offensive line, Detroit could be willing to add more to his plate with full-time coordinator duties.

It's important to note that Fraley has also garnered coordinator interest each of the last two seasons, including a second interview with the Seahawks last offseason. This could realistically be the case once again, which could cause tough decisions on both him and the organization if he's offered an opportunity.

External candidates

Brian Daboll

Previous position: Head coach, New York Giants

Of the external pool of candidates, Daboll has some ties that could bind him to the Lions and make this pairing a logical one. He struggled as a head coach with the Giants, but has connections to Campbell and was known for his work with a high-powered Bills offense prior to heading to New York. 

Daboll and Campbell were together for a year in Miami, when he was the offensive coordinator and Detroit’s head coach was the tight ends coach. They’ve often spoken highly of each other, and this partnership could be a logical one.

Daboll had plenty of success working with Josh Allen, and while Allen is not the same type of quarterback as Jared Goff, the former Giants’ head coach could work with Campbell to scheme concepts that fit the passer who is coming off of one of his best seasons in 2025.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, right, greets New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Davis Webb

Previous position: Quarterbacks coach/Passing game coordinator, Denver Broncos

Webb is a disciple of the Sean Payton coaching tree, as he has been working closely with Campbell’s mentor for the last three seasons. With Campbell sharing a similar background working for Payton, there could be some similarities in style that help the offense flourish.

The former NFL quarterback who spent six seasons playing professionally fits the team’s mold of coaches who are former players, and having coordinated Denver’s passing attack could be ready to take the next step.

Most notably, Webb has helped generate growth with second-year quarterback Bo Nix, who has led Denver to the No. 1 seed in the AFC in this year’s playoffs.

Todd Monken

Previous position: Offensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens

Monken’s future could be in flux, as the Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh Tuesday after 18 seasons. As a result, the offensive coordinator could be looking for a new team for the 2026 season. He has plenty of experience, which Detroit could be looking for after Morton’s struggles.

He has coordinated Baltimore’s offense of the past three years, and prior to that had stints at Georgia, Cleveland and Tampa Bay as an offensive coordinator. Monken reportedly will interview for the Cleveland Browns’ head coaching position, but if he doesn’t find a team to lead he could be a slam-dunk external option for Detroit.

It would be a different job for Monken, who would be working with a less mobile quarterback than Lamar Jackson of the Ravens. However, he helped devise a run game that Derrick Henry flourished in, and similar schemes could take Gibbs to even higher heights in 2026.

Kliff Kingsbury

Previous position: Offensive coordinator, Washington Commanders

Kingsbury and the Commanders parted ways after two seasons working together, of which there were two different results. In his first season, he guided an offense that flourished with rookie Jayden Daniels and the team won two playoff games with its explosive offense, including an upset in Detroit.

However, Daniels was injured multiple times in 2025 and eventually shut down, and the Commanders' offense struggled as a result. Now, Kingsbury is looking for a fresh start and could find Detroit's offensive weapons appealing. If he's looking for a head coaching opportunity, perhaps a year working with Campbell in Detroit could help him get back on that track.

Tommy Rees

Previous position: Offensive coordinator, Cleveland Browns

Rees is another coach navigating change, as head coach Kevin Stefanski was fired by the Browns following the conclusion of the season. While he's held in high regard and could be a head coaching option at some point, he could see some value in coming to Detroit to lead that high-powered offense.

Prior to coming to Cleveland in 2024, he had logged coordinator experience at Alabama (2023) and Notre Dame (2020-22). He has an array of experience, and could bring some unique concepts from his time in college to the professional level by featuring the Lions' multitude of offensive weapons.