Former Dolphins linebacker becomes seventh known candidate for head coach job
Add a seventh name to the list of known candidates for the Dolphins coaching job.
Miami has asked for permission to interview Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard for the position, a league source confirmed.
After a nine-year playing career, which included two seasons with the Dolphins, Sheppard, 38, began his coaching career as director of player development at LSU in 2020 and then joined the Detroit Lions in 2021, initially coaching linebackers and then moving up to defensive coordinator this past season after Aaron Glenn left last winter to become head coach of the Jets.
This season, the Lions were 18th in yards allowed per game at 331.9 and 22nd in points permitted at 24.3.
Sheppard, a former third-round pick of the Bills out of LSU, played in the league from 2011 through 2018 and produced 429 tackles in 107 games, including 63 starts. He made one start for the Dolphins in 2014 and 13 starts for Miami in 2015, a season in which he had 105 tackles.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins were among seven teams that spoke with former Ravens coach John Harbaugh in recent days, SI.com.
A source close to Harbaugh said there will be additional contact between the parties, but it’s unclear if Miami will get a formal interview or make his list of finalists.
Longtime NFL writer Gary Myers said the Falcons are considered the biggest challenger to the Giants in the pursuit of Harbaugh, who has drawn interest from every team with an opening for a head coach. The Falcons are the only team that has announced that they have interviewed Harbaugh; most teams, including the Dolphins, are announcing coaching interviews when completed.
Besides Harbaugh and Sheppard, the Dolphins also have reached out to Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak (who interviewed with Miami on Saturday), former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, 49ers defensive coordinator and former Jets head coach Robert Saleh, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula (grandson of legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula) and Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
Owner Stephen Ross and general manager Jon-Erik Sullivan are collaborating on the hire of a new head coach to replace Mike McDaniel, who interviewed for the Browns head coaching job on Monday.
Here’s my piece with an early look at Dolphins’ first-round draft options on offense.
This story was originally published January 12, 2026 at 6:11 PM.
