John Scott Jr. joins the Detroit Lions as their defensive line coach in 2023.

Scott Jr. comes to Detroit after spending the previous three seasons (2020-22) at Penn State. In 2022, Penn State ranked sixth in the FBS with 43 sacks and finished the season ranked No. 7 in the AP poll with an 11-2 record. Prior to his stint at Penn State, Scott Jr. served as the defensive line coach at South Carolina (2019) and Arkansas (2017-18).

John Scott Jr. joins the Detroit Lions as their defensive line coach in 2023.

Scott Jr. comes to Detroit after spending the previous three seasons (2020-22) at Penn State. In 2022, Penn State ranked sixth in the FBS with 43 sacks and finished the season ranked No. 7 in the AP poll with an 11-2 record. Prior to his stint at Penn State, Scott Jr. served as the defensive line coach at South Carolina (2019) and Arkansas (2017-18).

His only previous NFL experience came with the New York Jets, serving as their assistant defensive line coach in 2016 and as a defensive quality control coach in 2015. In 2016, he helped DL Leonard Williams produce a team-high 7.0 sacks en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Before entering the NFL ranks, Scott Jr. served a defensive coach at several colleges, including Texas Tech (2013-14), Georgia Southern (2010-12), Missouri State (2009), Western Carolina (2006-08), Norfolk State (2005) and Louisiana-Lafayette (2003-04).

Scott Jr. played college football at Western Carolina, graduating with a bachelor's in communications from the school in 2000 before adding a master's in education from Louisiana-Lafayette in 2006.

A native of Greer, S.C., he has a son, John, and two daughters, Juliette and Erin.