Kelvin Sheppard is More Than Dan Campbell’s Next Calculated Risk
Credit: Junfu Han via Imagn Images
For a team coming off a 15-2 season, the Detroit Lions have had a turbulent offseason. Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson left for head coaching jobs and took most of Dan Campbell’s staff with them. Other teams hit up the Lions as part of the “brain drain” that happens when teams reach the upper tier of NFL contenders.
Some believe that Campbell’s brain went out the door with his assistants after appearing to take a big risk on Kelvin Sheppard as his new defensive coordinator. But like many things Campbell does, it’s not what it is without rationale. What people don’t know is this has been a process that started when Sheppard stopped playing.
Sheppard enjoyed an eight-year career in the NFL, but first met Dan Campbell during his two seasons with the Miami Dolphins. In an article written by The Athletic’s Colton Pouncey, Campbell described Sheppard as “the guy who calmed the storms” and had the demeanor of a head coach.
“There’s a number of guys you can just tell by the way they play,” Campbell told Pouncey in 2022. “And I’ll be honest with you – most of them are usually the guys that have to maximize what they have ability-wise because maybe you don’t have the elite talent. He was a guy, man, who had to do everything right to succeed. And that’s what he did. You have to know every little nuance, every technique. Every fundamental has got to be on point. So with that, you understand how to coach that. And really, a lot of times, you’re the player who’s coaching the young players. You’re really just another coach. And that’s what he was. So, I knew early that he was going to be one of those guys.”
Sheppard went on to play for Lou Anarumo in Miami and Steve Spagnolo with the New York Giants before finishing his career with the Lions in 2018. While his retirement allowed him to spend more time with his family, he spent his Sundays watching football and texting coaching tips to the likes of Jason Pierre-Paul and Christian Jones.
The urge to get back into the game grew with time and Sheppard had a conversation with Campbell about getting into coaching. The conversation has been documented by many as the one where Campbell advised Sheppard not to cut his dreadlocks, but to be himself. The advice paid off, as his ability to relate to players carried over to his first coaching job on Ed Orgeron’s staff at LSU in 2020.
The following year, Campbell was hired as the head coach of the Lions. One of his first moves was setting up an interview with Sheppard, but Campbell made sure he earned a job on his staff. Sheppard went through three different interviews before he was hired as the outside linebackers coach. The following year, Sheppard was promoted to linebackers coach, where Campbell and Glenn got the idea to groom him as a future coordinator.
“Shep is somebody that I’ve always believed could be an outstanding coach. And about two years ago, I just felt like, now this guy is going to be… he’ll be ready to be a coordinator sooner than later,” Campbell told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday. “And so AG and I had talked about it and tried to give him more responsibility over the last two years. And with that in mind for him, it meant this is the next step. This is the next step without telling him.”
Dan Campbell says he’s been preparing Kelvin Sheppard to be a defensive coordinator for 2 years
“He’s ready”#OnePride
pic.twitter.com/W4718nkRBy— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) February 25, 2025
The past two years have been part of the process. Sheppard began working on rounding the edges of his coaching style. He could relate to players, but now he was — as Pouncey put it — scouting opposing offenses, finding ways to attack them, and deploying his personnel in the most advantageous way possible.
Glenn got the credit as a defensive coordinator who helped Detroit rank seventh in scoring defense, even with a whopping 13 players on IR, but Sheppard had a pivotal role in developing Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell and getting the most out of Alex Anzalone.
It’s something that wasn’t lost on Glenn when he was asked about what Sheppard can do in his new role.
“He’s tough. He’s gritty,” Glenn said at the combine on Tuesday. “He understands ball from a number of different perspectives. I totally have a lot of confidence in that man. I think he’s going to do a hell of a job.”
Aaron Glenn on Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard 👀
“He’s TOUGH. He’s GRITTY. He understand ball from a number of different perspectives. I totally have a lot of confidence in that man… I think he’s gonna do a HELL of a job”
#OnePride pic.twitter.com/yabtAirIQ9
— Crunch Time Sports (@officialctpod) February 25, 2025
You could assume this is just one coach trying to help another. But as Sheppard’s path shows, you just don’t get a job in Campbell’s culture. You have to earn it. It took many steps for him to get to this point, and running the entire defense is just the next one.
The Lions come into next season getting a huge boost with the return of Aidan Hutchinson and many of the players who ended last year on injured reserve should be back next year. Alim McNeill‘s ACL injury could jeopardize his availability for the start of next season, but the Lions have a talented core, especially when it comes to the front seven.
Even if things don’t work out, Sheppard has already proven he can weather the storm. This calculated risk has been over a decade in the making, and the Lions are hoping it will be another one that pays off.
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