Coaches

George Yarno enters his third season as Detroit's offensive line coach. Prior to joining the Lions' coaching staff, Yarno spent the 2008 season as the assistant offensive line coach with Tampa Bay after spending 17 years at the college level working with the offensive line.

LIONS COACHING HIGHLIGHTS: Detroit's offensive line was one of the top pass protecting lines in the NFL in 2010, allowing only 27 sacks (sixth lowest in the League) while having the third most pass attempts (633).

• The Lions pass protection stayed consistent despite the team starting three different quarterbacks in 2010. Among the teams in the Top-5 in sacks per pass play, only the Lions have started more than one quarterback.
• For the season, the Detroit finished with a sacks-per-pass play percentage of 4.09. It was the third-lowest sacks per pass play percentage allowed by the Lions since 1960.

From 2003-07, Yarno worked at his alma mater, Washington State, in his second stint as the school's offensive line coach. During the 2003 season, he guided All-Pac-10 selections Josh Parrish (first team) and Calvin Armstrong (honorable mention) to become 2003 Holiday Bowl champions. Yarno began his coaching career with the Cougars from 1991-94.

Over the course of his 17-year college coaching career, Yarno served as an offensive line coach at both LSU (2001-02), helping the team win an SEC title (2001) and at Arizona State (2000). Yarno also served as an assistant head coach/offensive line coach at Houston (1998-99) and as an offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Idaho (1995-97).

Prior to coaching, Yarno was a two-time Pack-10 conference honoree as a defensive lineman at Washington State (1975-79). In1979 he signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay where he played for five years (1979-1983). Yarno later joined the Denver Gold of the upstart USFL (1984-85) before returning to the Buccaneers (1985-87). Yarno finished out his NFL playing career with Atlanta (1988), Houston (1989) and Green Bay (1990).

Born August 12, 1957, Yarno and his wife, Cindy, have three children, Josh, Adrianne and George.