Well, we knew we were losing Aaron Glenn to the Jets, but at least we’re keeping it in the family. The Lions just promoted linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator, and this feels right.
The #Lions are promoting LBs coach Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator, filling the shoes of Aaron Glenn, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 25, 2025
A quick rise for the eight-year NFL veteran, Sheppard earns a DC job in only his third season under Dan Campbell. pic.twitter.com/cM3m9ebqEc
Many Lions fans have loved Sheppard since his Hard Knocks appearance a couple years ago, where he fiercely defended Malcolm Rodriguez. While others saw a sixth-round rookie, Sheppard saw a player who could climb the depth chart through pure determination. That moment showed everything we love about Sheppard – he doesn’t care about draft position or expectations, and he doesn’t want to hear excuses – only effort and results matter.
Throwback to this Hard Knocks moment with Kelvin Sheppard and Malcolm Rodriguez 🔥
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) January 21, 2025
Sheppard is the hot name if the Lions’ defensive coordinator job opens up. pic.twitter.com/GAuKPXjhnY
Glenn actually called this back in December. He told everyone he’d been mentoring Sheppard for the DC role, calling him “damn near close if not ready.” That’s pretty high praise from the guy who just turned our defense around despite losing half our starters to injury this season.
Sheppard’s got an interesting story – he’s only 37 and was playing for us just six years ago. Went from player to coach real quick, but he’s been crushing it with our linebacker group. Just look at how Jack Campbell and Alex Anzalone played this year. Even when injuries decimated the unit, everyone else kept showing up.
What I really like is how Sheppard’s been preparing for this. He told reporters back in December he was ready for a coordinator job, and you could tell he meant it. He’s been getting chances to speak to the whole defense, running meetings, doing all the stuff most position coaches don’t get to do. Dan Campbell and AG clearly saw something in him early.
Between losing Glenn to the Jets and Ben Johnson to the Bears, this offseason’s been off to a rough start. But promoting Sheppard feels like the right move to keep some continuity. He’s got that same fire AG had – Glenn called him a “bulldog,” which is pretty much the highest compliment you can get from this coaching staff.
Now we just need to figure out who’s replacing Johnson as offensive coordinator. But at least we know our defense is staying in good hands. Thank you Aaron Glenn for everything you did for us, for getting our next guy ready, and for leaving us with two third round picks on your way out the door. To top all of that off, you even picked a team in a completely different conference. What more could we ask for?
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