When the Detroit Lions saw offensive and defensive coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn depart for head coaching opportunities in January, fans wondered how they were going to replace both guys.
The Lions acted quickly to find their replacements, as they brought back John Morton to the organization as the new OC. Then, they stayed in-house for the defensive coordinator position, promoting Kelvin Sheppard from linebackers coach.
The former NFL linebacker turned coach reportedly turned down other job offers to stay with the Lions, and appears that his decision is already paying dividends.
#Lions OC John Morton said he was "thoroughly impressed" by Kelvin Sheppard's defense in training camp.
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) September 4, 2025
"I'm glad we don't have to go against those guys anymore."
Kelvin Sheppard Already Making Strong Impression as First-Time Coordinator
When speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, John Morton was very complimentary of Sheppard’s defensive unit. According to Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News, Morton said he was "thoroughly impressed” and added, “I’m glad we don’t have to go against those guys anymore.”
If you’re a Lions fan, you have to be excited to hear that the first-time defensive coordinator is already making a good impression on Morton, who has been coaching for 20-plus years in a ton of different roles.
The 37-year-old Sheppard has tall shoes to fill at defensive coordinator as he’s replacing a guy in Aaron Glenn, who set the tone and standard for the Lions’ defense.
However, the good news for the new defensive coordinator is that Sheppard is familiar with a lot of these guys as he’s been with the organization for five years now. He has a talented defensive line, which features one of the most gifted pass rushers in Aidan Hutchinson, plus a first-round pick in Tyleik Williams.
And then if you look at the linebackers’ unit, it’s one of the better ones in the NFL. And Detroit’s secondary is littered with talent at cornerback and safety. Sheppard has the pieces to help the Lions stay as one of the best teams against the run (98.4 yards per game allowed – fifth-fewest in the NFL last year), and hopefully improve against the pass (244.0 yards per game allowed – third-most in the league in 2024).