According to several national reports, the Miami Dolphins have reached out to Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard to request an interview for their head coach position after firing Mike McDaniel last week.
Sheppard is just one year into his role as defensive coordinator after taking over for Aaron Glenn in 2024. While the Lions’ defense regressed in several statistics this past year—most notably allowing 24.3 points per game after allowing just 20.1 last year—Sheppard has remained in the good graces of his players and coaching staff. Sheppard has great command of the room, and his charismatic personality is part of the reason he’s been a great culture fit in Detroit.
Some have questioned whether Sheppard deserves a second season as Lions defensive coordinator following the regression on that side of the ball, but head coach Dan Campbell offered a vote of confidence heading into Week 18 of the season.
“I like Shep. Shep has really grown this year,” Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket in late December. “I think with any first-time coordinator, first-time coach, you go through a lot. You learn along the way. You make adjustments. You find things that you believe in. You throw other things to the side that don’t fit you. You find ways to adjust, and it’s just part of the process. I think Shep’s done a damn good job. There’s always going to be things that you learn from this job, but I like Shep.”
The Dolphins have some organizational familiarity with Sheppard. He played for Miami from 2014-15, starting 14 games over two seasons, including a career-year in which he totalled 105 tackles and 13 tackles for loss.
Sheppard joins a few other Lions coaches and executives who have received interest elsewhere. We’re tracking all of that in our 2026 Detroit Lions coaching tracker here.
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