Matt Patricia made some significant changes to his staff on Tuesday when he axed six assistants.
The two biggest: special teams coordinator Jon Bonamego and head strength coach Harold Nash.
Defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, whose future with the Lions remains in question, was not among those let go.
Patricia and the Lions also fired tight ends coach Chris White, defensive backs coach Brian Stewart, linebackers coach Al Golden and assistant strength coach Rodney Hill.
The changes to the strength and conditioning staff are no surprise. The Lions sent 16 players to injured reserve this season, including Matthew Stafford, Kerryon Johnson, Marvin Jones and a host of other starters.
The surprise is that Pasqualoni is still on board. Detroit's defense, which was supposed to be the strength of the team this year, was one of the worst in the NFL. And while Pasqualoni wasn't the mastermind behind it -- that was Patricia, of course -- he figured to take the fall.
There's a chance the Lions demote him, if they choose to keep him on staff.
Lions general manager Bob Quinn reiterated Monday that Patricia has full autonomy of his coaching staff.
In a statement released by the team Tuesday, Patricia said, "These decisions are never easy and I'm thankful for the effort these men gave our team. I will continue to evaluate our entire operation in the coming days and weeks and will always make decisions in the best interest of the team."
