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Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland, right, and former third-base coach Gene Lamont (22) watch from the dugout during Game 1 in the World Series in San Francisco in 2012.

(AP File Photo)

DETROIT -- The most important piece of the puzzle appears to have been solved: Brad Ausmus will be hired to replace Jim Leyland as the Tigers' new manager,

.

But there's still several key questions that remain unanswered. Mainly, who will be named to Ausmus' coaching staff?

Typically, new managers are offered the opportunity to hire their own coaching staff, often offering positions to former colleagues from previous jobs.

But it appears at least one familiar name in Detroit will be sticking around: Gene Lamont.

Lamont is expected to return as the bench coach as part of Ausmus' new coaching staff, a source close to the subject told Matt Dery of Detroit Sports 105.1 early Sunday.

A text message to the Tigers confirming the report wasn't immediately returned. And neither Ausmus nor the Tigers responded to text messages sent late Saturday night to confirm the report of the upcoming managerial hiring.

Lamont, a member of Detroit's coaching staff since 2006, served as third-base coach in Detroit for seven years before shifting to bench coach prior to the 2013 season.

Lamont became close friends with Ausmus while coaching with the Houston Astros for three seasons under then-manager Jimy Williams. A former manager in the majors, Lamont could seemingly compensate for Ausmus' lack of managerial experience.

The statuses of the other coaches on the Tigers' previous staff remain unclear.

The contracts of hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, pitching coach Jeff Jones, bullpen coach Mike Rojas, third-base coach Tom Brookens, first-base coach Rafael Belliard and assistant hitting coach Toby Harrah all expired Oct. 31.

Jones, who was a bullpen coach for a stint while Ausmus was a catcher in Detroit, is considered a strong candidate to remain on Detroit's coaching staff as pitching coach.

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said last month that every coach has been granted the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere if they so choose.

"I would never stand in their way of getting another job somewhere else because I don't think that's fair and that's right," he said. "Then we'll just kind of go from there."

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