Lions lose another assistant coach to former coordinator
The Lions are victims of their own success as the team continues to lose important members of the coaching staff.
The Detroit Lions have turned into one of the NFL’s premier teams under head coach Dan Campbell’s leadership. However, the Lions will be tested in 2025 as the team is forced to rebuild its coaching staff after offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left for the Chicago Bears and the New York Jets hired defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Naturally, those coordinators are taking other coaches along with them to their new gigs and the Lions are now losing tight ends coach Steve Heiden, who will follow Glenn to New York, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero on X. Additionally, Detroit’s passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand is considered the frontrunner for the Jets’ OC job, per Pelissero. Although he hasn’t officially been swiped by Glenn just yet.
Heiden started his coaching career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2013 and he remained with the organization for 10 years before leaving for Detroit. He spent the last two seasons as the Lions’ tight ends coach and now takes over as the Jets’ offensive line coach under Glenn.
The Lions’ success forced a rebuild of the coaching staff
The Lions have managed to replace both coordinators as Campbell hired John Morton to take over for Ben Johnson as Detroit’s OC and Kelvin Sheppard was promoted to defensive coordinator. Sheppard spent the last three seasons as the Lions’ linebackers coach. It was initially thought that he would take the DC role under Glenn in New York but Sheppard is staying in Detroit.
Campbell interviewed several candidates for the defensive coordinator job, including Larry Foote, who’s been the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ inside linebackers coach and pass game coordinator since 2022. Ultimately, the team decided to hire from within the organization and give Sheppard his shot.
Meanwhile, the Jets have hired veteran coach Steve Wilks as their new defensive coordinator. Wilks most recently served as the San Francisco 49ers’ DC in 2023, reaching Super Bowl LVIII with the team before being fired in the offseason. He brings 30 years of coaching experience to New York.
While the Lions aren’t concerned about their Super Bowl window closing after losing so many top staffers, it’s imperative that the team gets its new coaching replacements right. But given Campbell’s hiring track record, Lions fans should feel pretty confident that the organization will continue to compete at a high level.
