- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,153,149
- Reaction score
- 59
INDIANAPOLIS – The Detroit Lions lost two coordinators to head coaching jobs last offseason, and they apparently came close to losing another in 2026.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard indicated he might have been runner-up for the Miami Dolphins job that went to Jeff Hafley when he was asked about his interview with the team this week at the NFL scouting combine.
"Full disclosure, I was in communication with the Dolphins for about two weeks, so I don’t know how it typically goes but I know after the interview I was contacted by three people from that front office," Sheppard said. "And I’m not going to disclose the things that I was told but I think that’s just about as real as it can get when Hafley calls somebody on my staff and says, ‘Those people were about to hire Kelvin.’ I mean, I don’t know why people would make this stuff up, but I think it’s as real as it can get."
Sheppard, who spent four seasons as Lions linebackers coach before taking over for Aaron Glenn as defensive coordinator in 2025, interviewed with the Dolphins in mid-January on the same day Hafley was hired.
Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan defended the timeline Tuesday when asked about the perception his interviews with Sheppard and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham were done just to satisfy the NFL's Rooney Rule minority hiring process guidelines.
TRENDING: Taylor Decker is back, but Lions' search for OL help just beginning
Sullivan insisted Sheppard and Graham were "legitimate candidates" and said Sheppard will "be a head coach in this league one day."
"I think if you want to build a bully, Kelvin, he can lead men," Sullivan said. "There was a toughness and a command that he had, and his ability to articulate that. And it wasn’t false bravado. I mean, he walked out of the room and we all kind of looked at each other like, 'Wow, that was really impressive.' I have no doubt as he gets down the road in his career, he’ll have a lot of opportunities."
Sheppard said he was appreciative of the opportunity to interview for a head coaching job for the first time in his career and called the Dolphins a "first-class organization."
He said his interview included time with Sullivan, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and special advisors and Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino and Troy Aikman, who assisted with the hiring process, among others.
"Real or not, I got the opportunity to do it," Sheppard said. "Real or fake, I went through the process and I learned a lot and I grew from it, so that’s what I’m taking from it."
Under Sheppard, who played for the Dolphins during his eight-year NFL playing career, the Lions finished with a middle-of-the-pack defense last season despite losing three of their four starting defensive backs to season-ending injuries.
Sheppard said the year was eye-opening for him as a play-caller and leader.
"You don’t understand a job until you’re in it," Sheppard said. "Nobody can tell you how to call a game. Like you can sit back all you want, you can play Madden all you want, but until you’re on that sideline and it’s second-and-7 and they’re back on the ball and it’s first-and-10 and you know it’s repetition, it’s time on task to the point it becomes muscle memory to you. I mean, you’re able to go to that next level. You understand how to kind of manage your time.
"That’s another thing as a coordinator, wanting to make sure you see everything and don’t miss anything. From a position coach standpoint to me, to be honest with you it was easy. I always looked outside of the linebacker room, but as a coordinator you have no choice but to make sure you understand fully what all 11 are looking at and how to put them in the best position. So time management, man. Learning how to manage your staff, not just players. Learning how to coach your coaches. Making sure it’s room for growth with them. This is all things I learned."
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Was Detroit Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard runner-up for Miami Dolphins job?
Continue reading...
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard indicated he might have been runner-up for the Miami Dolphins job that went to Jeff Hafley when he was asked about his interview with the team this week at the NFL scouting combine.
"Full disclosure, I was in communication with the Dolphins for about two weeks, so I don’t know how it typically goes but I know after the interview I was contacted by three people from that front office," Sheppard said. "And I’m not going to disclose the things that I was told but I think that’s just about as real as it can get when Hafley calls somebody on my staff and says, ‘Those people were about to hire Kelvin.’ I mean, I don’t know why people would make this stuff up, but I think it’s as real as it can get."
You must be registered for see images attach
Sheppard, who spent four seasons as Lions linebackers coach before taking over for Aaron Glenn as defensive coordinator in 2025, interviewed with the Dolphins in mid-January on the same day Hafley was hired.
Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan defended the timeline Tuesday when asked about the perception his interviews with Sheppard and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham were done just to satisfy the NFL's Rooney Rule minority hiring process guidelines.
TRENDING: Taylor Decker is back, but Lions' search for OL help just beginning
Sullivan insisted Sheppard and Graham were "legitimate candidates" and said Sheppard will "be a head coach in this league one day."
"I think if you want to build a bully, Kelvin, he can lead men," Sullivan said. "There was a toughness and a command that he had, and his ability to articulate that. And it wasn’t false bravado. I mean, he walked out of the room and we all kind of looked at each other like, 'Wow, that was really impressive.' I have no doubt as he gets down the road in his career, he’ll have a lot of opportunities."
Sheppard said he was appreciative of the opportunity to interview for a head coaching job for the first time in his career and called the Dolphins a "first-class organization."
You must be registered for see images attach
He said his interview included time with Sullivan, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and special advisors and Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino and Troy Aikman, who assisted with the hiring process, among others.
"Real or not, I got the opportunity to do it," Sheppard said. "Real or fake, I went through the process and I learned a lot and I grew from it, so that’s what I’m taking from it."
Under Sheppard, who played for the Dolphins during his eight-year NFL playing career, the Lions finished with a middle-of-the-pack defense last season despite losing three of their four starting defensive backs to season-ending injuries.
Sheppard said the year was eye-opening for him as a play-caller and leader.
"You don’t understand a job until you’re in it," Sheppard said. "Nobody can tell you how to call a game. Like you can sit back all you want, you can play Madden all you want, but until you’re on that sideline and it’s second-and-7 and they’re back on the ball and it’s first-and-10 and you know it’s repetition, it’s time on task to the point it becomes muscle memory to you. I mean, you’re able to go to that next level. You understand how to kind of manage your time.
"That’s another thing as a coordinator, wanting to make sure you see everything and don’t miss anything. From a position coach standpoint to me, to be honest with you it was easy. I always looked outside of the linebacker room, but as a coordinator you have no choice but to make sure you understand fully what all 11 are looking at and how to put them in the best position. So time management, man. Learning how to manage your staff, not just players. Learning how to coach your coaches. Making sure it’s room for growth with them. This is all things I learned."
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Was Detroit Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard runner-up for Miami Dolphins job?
Continue reading...
