The Detroit Lions have added another name to their list of candidates for their offensive coordinator vacancy.
On Friday, reports indicated that the Lions will interview Baltimore Ravens quarterback coach Tee Martin for the job. Martin becomes the latest name to be linked to the opening, which was created when the Lions moved on from John Morton after one season earlier this week.
Detroit hired Morton last offseason after Ben Johnson departed to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Though the offense had some success, there was inconsistency throughout the season and Morton was stripped of play-calling duties following a Week 9 loss to Minnesota.
Other reported candidates for the Lions’ offensive coordinator position include Washington Commanders quarterbacks coach David Blough, former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and Seattle Seahawks passing game coordinator Jake Peetz.
Martin is in his fifth year with the Ravens’ organization and third as the team’s quarterbacks coach. In the position, he has worked closely with one of the game’s most dynamic quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson. Prior to becoming the quarterbacks coach, Martin had been the team’s wide receivers coach for two seasons.
Before he got his first coaching opportunity in the NFL with the Ravens in 2021, he has a lengthy list of experience at the collegiate level. His coaching career began in 2006, when he coached at Morehouse College as a passing game coordinator.
From there, he spent two years at the high school level before returning to the collegiate level as New Mexico’s quarterbacks coach in 2009. He would then take the wide receivers coach position at Kentucky, where he worked with future Green Bay Packers wideout Randall Cobb.
In 2012, Martin moved on to USC where he would spend seven seasons and work with a number of future NFL draft picks. Among those were JuJu Smith-Schuster and Nelson Agholor. He would hold this position until 2019, when he joined the Tennessee Volunteers’ coaching staff.
He was the team’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for three seasons, from 2016-18, and helped helm an offense that featured eventual top-five pick Sam Darnold at quarterback.
After two seasons in Rocky Top, the coaching veteran was offered the opportunity to coach the Ravens’ wideouts and took it, and has remained with the team ever since. However, with the firing of longtime head coach John Harbaugh, Martin’s future with the Ravens’ organization remains uncertain.
In his first season as the team’s quarterbacks coach, 2023, he guided Lamar Jackson to an MVP season. Martin also spent three years at the professional level as a quarterback out of Tennessee, where he appeared in three games with no starts.
As a college player, Martin threw for 4,592 yards and helped lead his team to a national championship with an undefeated season in 1998.
