The Detroit Lions’ coaching staff will have a new look in 2025.
Dan Campbell remains at the helm as head coach, but both of his top coordinators, Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson, have departed for head coaching positions with the Jets and Bears, respectively.
Adding to the upheaval, several assistant coaches have also left, as Glenn and Johnson have recruited former Lions staff members to fill key roles on their new teams.
Glenn has already brought in Detroit tight ends coach Steve Heiden to serve as the Jets’ offensive line coach. Additionally, multiple reports indicate that he’s pursuing Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand as New York’s next offensive coordinator.
Johnson, meanwhile, has poached wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, who will take on the dual role of receivers coach and assistant head coach in Chicago. He has also hired Detroit’s assistant quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett to be the Bears’ new quarterbacks coach.
Beyond those losses, the Lions’ defensive line coach, Terrell Williams, has accepted the defensive coordinator position under Mike Vrabel in New England. To fill his spot, Detroit has brought in former Buccaneers defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers.
Coaching turnover is a common challenge for winning teams, and Detroit has certainly felt the effects. No team has been hit harder this offseason, losing both coordinators along with four other key assistants, and potentially a seventh, with Engstrand expected to depart soon.
For Campbell, it’s undoubtedly a tough situation. However, while significant, it’s not a disaster.
Each of the outgoing assistants played an integral role in Detroit’s success. Glenn and Johnson were widely regarded as two of the best coordinators in the league, and coaches like Heiden and Randle El were highly respected for their work at their positions. Their absence will be felt, and if Engstrand leaves, he will be missed as well.
That said, this isn’t a worst-case scenario for the Lions.
After back-to-back 12-win seasons and an NFC North title, Detroit has reached a critical phase. Maintaining success in 2025 and beyond will require a balance of continuity and fresh energy, both in personnel and on the coaching staff.
Even the most effective coaches can eventually lose their impact as players tune out familiar voices. The departures of so many assistants provide the Lions with an opportunity to introduce fresh perspectives and new leadership within the locker room.
Leading the charge in 2025 will be newly promoted defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and offensive coordinator John Morton. Sheppard, formerly the team’s linebackers coach, has been with Detroit for several seasons, while Morton returns to the Lions after spending the last two years as Denver’s passing game coordinator. He also brings prior play-calling experience from his time with USC (2009-10) and the New York Jets (2017).
The elevation of Sheppard and the addition of Morton will inject fresh ideas into the team’s schemes, helping to prevent complacency from setting in.
Change is never easy, and Lions fans are understandably uncertain about what’s ahead with Sheppard and Morton leading the defense and offense.
But sometimes, a major shake-up is necessary for continued growth. As unsettling as this transition may seem now, it could ultimately be the catalyst that helps Detroit sustain its success—and perhaps even take the next step as a franchise in 2025.
