Former Chiefs assistant Jim Bob Cooter will call plays for first time on Sunday

Just three short years ago, Jim Bob Cooter was a 28-year-old quality control coach, a job is pretty low on the totem pole when it comes to NFL coaching staffs.

Cooter, who held the job in 2012 under Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel, made a quick stop in Denver as an offensive assistant in 2013 before he joined the Detroit Lions as quarterbacks coach in 2014.

Now, Cooter — who was promoted to offensive coordinator on Monday — will find himself calling plays for the first time in his career on Sunday against the Chiefs.

“It’s exciting for me, personally, but it’s a unique situation the way it went about,” said Cooter, who replaces Joe Lombardi, who was relieved of his duties earlier this week. “Obviously, nobody feels great about the whole staff thing and how it happened and all that stuff. But it’s an exciting personal opportunity, I hope to make the best of it, score a bunch of points and get our offense going.”

Chiefs safety Eric Berry played at the University of Tennessee, where Cooter was a graduate assistant in 2007 and 2008. Berry isn’t surprised the 31-year old former quarterback has risen so quickly in the coaching ranks.

“Oh yeah, I always knew he’d be a coach, just because of the way he prepared for the game,” Berry said. “He just knew everything — offensively, defensively and on special teams. He just loved the sport. I felt like he was definitely going to be where he is now or higher.”

Berry says Cooter used to help him learn how to dissect offensive concepts as a defensive player.

“Just how to play certain routes or certain mentality of offenses in certain situations,” Berry said. “I’d try to just pick his brain on certain things I should try to do on the field.”

By handing Cooter the keys of his flagging offense, which ranks 29th in points scored and dead last in rushing offense, Detroit coach Jim Caldwell is showing a tremendous amount of faith in the young assistant he plucked from Tennessee before the 2009 season.

Cooter, formerly a backup quarterback for the Volunteers, joined Caldwell’s staff in Indianapolis as an offensive assistant.

“Obviously,” Cooter said, “he’s been instrumental in my career.”

Caldwell, whose team is 1-6 entering its showdown against the Chiefs, said he made the hire based on a glowing recommendation from former Vols coach Phil Fulmer.

“Phil had some very, very glowing remarks in regard to Jim Bob,” Caldwell said. “He (Fulmer) felt that he was built for this league in terms of his temperament and abilities and those kinds of things … he came in, worked well for us, became an integral part of the staff.

“Guys depended on him greatly and I think every staff that he’s been on thus far has certainly felt that he’s extremely competent and qualified.”

And even though Cooter has never called plays before, Caldwell noted that teams wanted to interview him as a coordinator last year.

“He certainly does indeed not only have our respect, but respect of people in the league where he’s worked, and things of that nature,” Caldwell said. “So he’s more than capable.”

With it being the middle of the season, Cooter concedes he probably does not have time to make sweeping changes, though he has made some tweaks.

“You may be simplifying a protection or two, you may be making things a little bit easier on guys, hopefully,” said Cooter, who was otherwise coy on the details of how the offense might change under his watch. “I try not to put too much on their plate.”

And for what it’s worth, the Chiefs aren’t expecting the Lions’ offense to change much.

“I don’t think they’re going to switch too much in one week,” outside linebacker Justin Houston said. “They haven’t had time to put in new stuff.”

Caldwell is obviously hopeful that Cooter, who has worked closely with quarterback Matthew Stafford over the last two seasons, will bring a new point of view that helps the organization finally get the most out of the strong-armed, mercurial former No. 1 overall pick.

“One of the things that certainly was considered strongly was the fact that he’s the closest one to the guy in our offense,” Caldwell said. “It’s most important to make certain that he’s comfortable doing things that he knows and understands.”

Cooter agreed that his experience with Stafford, who has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,866 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions, makes the transition smoother.

“I’m in the meeting room with him every day,” Cooter said. “I think he’s done a good job of telling me plays he likes or plays he doesn’t like, or (saying) maybe we should run this route at this depth instead of that depth. So it’s his offense as much as it is mine, maybe even more.

“I’ve learned early in my career that if a quarterback really likes a play, he tends to make it work. So if he likes it, we’ll get it in. If he doesn’t like it, we’ll try not to call it and we’ll go from there.”

Lions tight end Eric Ebron noted that Cooter’s young age for a coach helps him relate to players.

“Well, I’m sure there’s a little bit there of relating to guys, but I think there’s a lot of coaches out here of a lot of different ages really do a good job relating to guys,” Cooter said. “At the end of the day, you know, I think if you just are who you are, guys respect that.”

One player whose respect Cooter has earned is Berry, who said he will be sure to seek him out before or after the game.

“Definitely, I’ll go holler at him,” Berry said. “He’s a good guy.”

This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Former Chiefs assistant Jim Bob Cooter will call plays for first time on Sunday."