Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard Sounds Off on LSU Coaching Rumors
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard of the Detroit Lions.
The Detroit Lions had such talented coordinators over the past few seasons that both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn left for NFL head coaching jobs in 2025. Now, a prestigious college program may already want one of their replacements.
Lions first-year defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, who took over for Glenn this year after he left to lead the New York Jets, spoke with media members on Thursday, October 30, about the job opening at LSU (Louisiana State). The Tigers recently fired former head coach Brian Kelly, and their search for a new lead man is currently a dominant story across the college football landscape.
A reporter noted that analysts have connected Sheppard to the blue-blood SEC program and asked the Detroit DC if that position is one he would take.
Detroit Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard responds to his connection to the LSU Head Coach Opening 👀
“I can’t be interested in something I have no idea about.”
“I can’t be interested in something I have no idea about,” Sheppard responded. “I’m interested in beating the Minnesota Vikings. I’m tasked with another Tiger this week in Justin Jefferson, since we on a Tiger conversation, and that’s a tall one. He’s one of the LSU greats.”
“I’m interested in seeing us come off this bye week and stop cutting ourselves short,” Sheppard continued. “It’s time to make this final push, and it starts with us limiting points.”
Kelvin Sheppard Speaks About LSU Program With Reverence
GettyDetroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
Sheppard’s comments indicated that no one has reached out to him about the LSU head coaching position, at least not yet, and that he hasn’t been proactive in seeking it out.
However, he also spoke glowingly of the program, saying he keeps up with it regularly and crediting LSU for shaping him as a person.
That place molded me into the man that I am today, and [am] still becoming. You cut me open, I’m a liger. I think that’s what they all it — half lion, half tiger. That school expects championships, and they should. We hoisted a trophy when I was there. They hoisted one after I left there.
The standard down there, just like we’ve created the standard here — through hard work, through what you put out there — is championships. It’s not just being around, it’s not being competitive and it’s not winning. We should win. That’s what we put ourselves in position to do over the course of time. It’s championships.
And that school deserves that, and that fan base deserves that. And I know that the people down there in place will make sure that happens moving forward.
Kelvin Sheppard Played for LSU, Lions During Football Career
GettyDefensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard of the Detroit Lions.
Sheppard played four seasons at LSU between 2007-10, appearing in 53 games and tallying 311 tackles, including 26 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, 5.5 sacks and two interceptions.
He went on to enjoy an eight-year NFL career, playing in 107 games and earning 63 starts across stints with the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and played his final year in 2018 as a member of the Lions.
Sheppard served as Detroit’s outside linebackers coach in 2021 before moving into the job of linebackers coach between 2022-24.
Ex-Celtics Guard Hires Trump Lawyer to Fight NBA Gambling Charges
Former Boston Celtics guard and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups has hired one of the nation’s most prominent defense attorneys to battle federal gambling charges that have rocked the NBA — and tied three former Celtics to the league’s biggest integrity scandal in years.
According to The Athletic, Billups has hired Marc Mukasey, a high-profile trial lawyer who has represented former U.S. President Donald Trump, to handle his defense against wire-fraud and money-laundering conspiracy charges.
Billups Turns to Prominent White-Collar Defense Attorney
Mukasey, a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and the son of ex-U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, is widely regarded as one of America’s top courtroom strategists in financial and corporate cases.
According to The Athletic report, Mukasey previously defended Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder in 2019, and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried during sentencing in his multibillion-dollar fraud case. Mukasey also served as a legal adviser to Rudy Giuliani’s 2007 presidential campaign and represented Joe Sanberg, co-founder of fintech firm Aspiration, in an NBA-related salary-cap case involving Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. Sanberg later pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud after admitting to defrauding investors of $248 million.
Now, Mukasey is representing Billups — the 2004 NBA Finals MVP and current Portland Trail Blazers head coach — as he faces potentially career-defining criminal charges.
Federal Allegations and Celtics Connection
In the indictments reviewed by
The 49-year-old coach, arrested in Oregon, has been placed on administrative leave by the Trail Blazers while the case proceeds. His former attorney, Chris Heywood, said last week that Billups “would not jeopardize” his Hall-of-Fame legacy, his reputation and freedom.
Two other former Celtics — Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones — are also implicated in the widening probe. Prosecutors allege Rozier shared private injury information with a friend who then profited from insider bets, while Jones allegedly helped facilitate the illegal gambling ring.
From Boston Lottery Pick to Hall of Fame Player
Getty 25 Jun 1997: Guard Chauncey Billups of the Boston Celtics shakes hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern during the NBA Draft at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Billups began his NBA career in Boston, drafted third overall by the Celtics in 1997, before going on to win a championship with the Detroit Pistons and earning the nickname “Mr. Big Shot.” He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield in 2024, a crowning moment for one of the league’s most respected figures.
Rozier, beloved by Celtics fans from 2015 to 2019, helped Boston reach the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, while Jones had a brief stint with the franchise during the 1998–99 season. Their shared ties to Boston have given the scandal an unsettling familiarity for local fans.
Badminton Betting Ban Mirrors NBA Investigation
The NBA’s ongoing gambling scandal comes as other global sports face similar integrity challenges. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) recently banned former Danish player and coach Joachim Persson for four years after he was filmed placing live bets courtside during a 2023 Japan Open match, according to
The similarities between the two cases are striking. Both involve allegations that individuals used insider access and confidential information for betting purposes. The incidents highlight the mounting challenge of maintaining sports integrity amid the rapid expansion of legalized gambling worldwide.
A Hall-of-Fame Legacy Under Scrutiny
For Billups, who spent part of his formative NBA years in Boston, the charges threaten to overshadow a Hall-of-Fame career defined by leadership and professionalism.
If convicted, Billups could face up to 20 years in prison per count, along with the potential loss of his coaching position and damage to his legacy.
The NBA continues to cooperate with federal authorities as the investigation broadens — with Boston fans watching uneasily as three familiar names fight to protect their reputations.
