The Detroit Lions looked internally to fill their defensive coordinator vacancy and promoted linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard, a team source said.
Sheppard earned the promotion following his third season as LBs coach and fourth overall with Detroit, who hired him in 2021. The Lions and coach Dan Campbell have been searching for new coordinators after losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets this week.
Sheppard was the early favorite to take over for Glenn — Campbell’s first DC in Detroit — who’s off to New York to coach the Jets. Sheppard, a Campbell guy through and through, has been open about his aspirations of becoming a defensive coordinator one day.
He played linebacker in the NFL for eight years — including a stint with the Miami Dolphins when Campbell served as the team’s interim head coach — and quickly shifted to coaching following his playing days. Sheppard’s also earned a reputation as one of the Lions’ best position coaches. He helped develop 2021 fourth-round pick Derrick Barnes and 2022 sixth-round pick Malcolm Rodriguez into starting-caliber linebackers and has 2023 first-round pick Jack Campbell looking like one of the better young linebackers in the league.
When it came time to choose a replacement for Glenn, Campbell went internal and now has his next defensive coordinator.
The Lions’ dream season as a Super Bowl favorite came to an abrupt end last weekend with a 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional round. The team has yet to hire an offensive coordinator.
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