What LSU Firing Brian Kelly Means For Detroit Lions

Exploring if Kelvin Sheppard could depart Lions to coach LSU?

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard reacts to a play against Kansas City Chiefs during the first half | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LSU has made a decision on head coach Brian Kelly.

After a disappointing tenure over the past four years, the SEC school has decided to part ways with the veteran coach.

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has very close ties to the school, having played for the Tigers in college and spending one year (2020) serving as the football program’s director of player development.

The former NFL linebacker has already appeared in several lists created by pundits as potential candidates to replace Kelly.

A couple of weeks ago, Sheppard was asked what impact his role working with college athletes had in his development as a coach.

Before he joined Dan Campbell's staff in 2021, #Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard served as the Director of player development at @LSUfootball.

Today, I asked him how that role helped him build a bond with players on the Lions defense.

🎥: @Lions pic.twitter.com/QkkDPkHD8X

— Kory Woods, MSW (@KoryEWoods) October 2, 2025

“That’s very interesting that you brought that up, because I tell everybody that made me the coach that I am. Because you have to understand the person before you understand the player. You’re never going to get through to the player if you don’t know the person, and it’s as simple as that," said Sheppard. "And I respect these guys as people first.

"It helps that I sat in that seat, and I know what it feels like to be a number versus a person. And when you see them as people, they see you as a person," Sheppard added. "And that’s relatable. Like in this game, that’s relatable. You can coach them a certain way when they know you have their best interest.”

Sheppard has garnered a significant amount of praise for the way Detroit's defense can adapt to challenges, even despite the roster suffering a myriad of injuries.

“That role that I had at LSU was a beautiful thing. A lot of it was chasing kids around, making sure they were in class, not in class, ‘Where are you? Why are you doing this? You can’t talk to the coach like that.’ But I learned throughout that it’s all different types of people, man," said Sheppard. "It’s ones who get it the first time, it’s ones who learn from others, and then it’s ones who take more that take multiple times."

After Aaron Glenn departed to become the coach of the Jets, the Lions had no issue handing the defense over to Sheppard, as Campbell and Detroit's front office had a plan in place to promote a coach that put in the work to climb up the ladder.

“And that’s also schematically. You can’t give up on people," Sheppard said. "Like, everybody deserves a second chance, but also within that, the person you’re giving a second chance has to understand there may not ever be a third. So, it’s a lot of lessons in life that I learned from that that’s helped me become the coach that I’m becoming.”