Dan Campbell has overseen one of the biggest turnarounds in recent memory. After his first two seasons, the Detroit Lions went from a perennial doormat to an NFC powerhouse. Then, despite a spate of injuries on defense, they finished 2024 tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in the NFL (15-2).
While Campbell still captains the ship, two of his most trusted lieutenants/coordinators have moved on. Aaron Glenn (defense) is now the head coach of the New York Jets, and Ben Johnson (offense) took the same position with the Chicago Bears.
After the 2023 season, both Glenn and Johnson were highly sought after, and 2024 felt almost like a bonus year for the Lions, as both coordinators seemed to be chasing a title with the team they helped rebuild. Their inevitable departure left a vacuum, and Campbell quickly filled it by hiring John Morton to run the offense and Kelvin Sheppard to take over the defense.
Who are the Lions’ New Coordinators?
Offensive Coordinator: John Morton
Morton is a former wide receiver who played for the CFL Toronto Argonauts and was on the practice squads of the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers.
While in Green Bay, he met Jon Gruden, the receivers coach. Gruden gave Morton his first coaching job with the Oakland Raiders in 1998 and said of his protégé, “He is a hardworking guy.”
“What you don’t see is the work ethic,” Gruden said. “People thought I was nuts, this guy’s freaking nuts, man. He loves it. He’s a creative guy.”
Morton is a student of the West Coast Offense and told the press on Tuesday, “I’m all about making the defense uneasy.” Then, referring to how his offensive looks can confuse a defense, he said, “I might get automatic defensive front coverage or a blitz or something like that.”
“I come from the school of multiple packages of personnel groupings in and out of the huddle, you know, trying to make a defense uneasy,” Morton said, suggesting that he will be focused on creating mismatches.
Defensive Coordinator: Kelvin Sheppard
Sheppard was promoted within the Lions organization after serving as the team’s linebackers coach. It’s a swift rise for Sheppard, who spent eight years in the NFL as a linebacker and returned to the NFL when Campbell hired him as the Lions’ outside linebackers coach.
Back in February, he spoke to Dan Miller of Fox 2 Detroit to discuss his plans on defense and what its focus will be.
“So that togetherness and so many things trickle from there,” Sheppard said. “Absolutely relentless effort, non-negotiable,” Sheppard said. “That’s things I say: The coaches aren’t coaching effort. You’ll stand out if you’re lax on this defense. And then just nasty, tenacious, finishing, scratching, clawing, fighting for every blade of grass out there.”
On Thursday night, Lions fans will get their first glimpse of their team’s new look when they take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
