The Detroit Lions announced today that they have hired Harold Nash Jr. as the team’s head strength and conditioning coach. Contract terms were not disclosed.

Harold Nash Jr. spent the previous 11 seasons (2005-15) working with the New England Patriots, where he began as the team’s assistant strength and conditioning coach (2005-10) before being promoted to head strength and conditioning coach in 2011. While with New England, Nash implemented the Patriots’ year-round conditioning program and also assisted in coordinating the team’s player development programs from 2005-10.

A former defensive back, Nash enjoyed an 11-year career in the Canadian Football League (1994-2004), including stints with the Shreveport Pirates (1994-95), Montreal Alouettes (1996-99), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1999-2003) and Edmonton Eskimos (2004). He earned CFL All-Star recognition in 1997, 2000 and 2001.

Nash attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette) and joined the football team as a walk-on, where he played defensive back for four seasons. Following his collegiate career, he signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent and was a member of the team’s training camp in 1993. He graduated from Southwestern Louisiana with a bachelor of science in humanities.

A native of New Orleans, La., Nash and his wife, Dwan, have a son, Harold Nash III.