Per 247Sports/CBS Sports Matt Zenitz, the Detroit Lions are "expected" to hire Texas football running backs coach Tashard Choice. He will reportedly be serving in the same role with the Lions in the NFL as Detroit's running backs coach.
Texas football RB coach Tashard Choice leaves for the NFL and the Detroit Lions after three seasons coaching with the Longhorns' staff
This news comes after Choice turned down the Dallas Cowboys running backs coach job earlier this offseason. The Cowboys had interviewed Choice for a job on new head coach Brian Schottenheimer's coaching staff last month.
Choice will get to work again with former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Alabama Crimson Tide star running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the Lions as their running backs coach. Gibbs was recruited and coached up by Choice at the beginning of his collegiate career at Georgia Tech.
It seems like the chance to coach up his former running back at Georgia Tech in the NFL was an opportunity too good to pass up for Choice.
Choice has been highly regarded as one of the top running backs coaches in college football over the past few years. Since he was hired at Texas early in the 2022 offseason as running backs coach by Longhorns' head coach Steve Sarkisian, Choice has been one of the top RB coaches in college football with his ability to coach up and recruit top talents at the position.
Since the 2022 season, Texas and Choice have produced multiple NFL Draft picks at running back, including Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson, Jonathon Brooks, and Keilan Robinson. Texas also has one running back expected to be picked in the 2025 NFL Draft this spring, junior Jaydon Blue.
Choice also recruited talented blue-chip running backs to Texas in the past couple of cycles, including Jerrick Gibson, Christian Clark, and James Simon.
Before taking the running backs coach job at Texas before the 2022 season, Choice has served in various college and NFL coaching positions including with the North Texas Mean Green, Georgia Tech, and Cowboys.