It is unusual for a team to lose their offensive and defensive coordinators in exchange for head coaching openings. But that is what the Detroit Lions and Dan Campbell are dealing with, as Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn have been hired as head coaches of the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, respectively. Both coaches invited members of the Lions coaching staff to join them in their new locations.
Johnson hired J.T. Barrett as quarterbacks coach and Antwaan Randle-El as wide receivers coach, while Glenn brought in Steve Heiden as offensive line coach. Tanner Engstrand, the Jets’ passing game coach, has been strongly touted as a candidate for the new offensive coordinator role under Glenn. The Lions may have signaled Engstrand’s departure by hiring a new passing game coordinator, whose name is well-known among college football fans.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the Lions and former Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract to serve as the team’s new passing game coordinator. This will be Shaw’s first stint on an NFL coaching staff since 2005, when he was a wide receivers coach for the Baltimore Ravens.
Lions hire former Stanford head coach David Shaw as new passing game coordinator
Shaw became Stanford’s head coach in 2011 and remained in the post for 12 years. He led the team to winning seasons and bowl game berths in each of his first eight seasons, including a Rose Bowl and Sun Bowl victory apiece.
Shaw resigned as head coach at the end of the 2022 season, with the program finishing 96-54 overall, 5-3 in bowl games, and three Pac-12 crowns. Shaw was a contender for several NFL head coaching jobs throughout the years. His most recent interviews were with the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, followed by the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints in 2025.
Shaw will now join the Lions to aid with their passing game after serving as a senior personnel official for the Denver Broncos in 2024. Shaw has worked with new Lions offensive coordinator John Morton, who was the Broncos’ pass game coordinator for the previous two seasons. They not only worked together in Denver, but they also served on the offensive coaching staff of the Oakland Raiders under head coach Jon Gruden.
This will be Shaw’s first time coaching in the NFL in over 20 years. Given Campbell’s success in constructing his coaching staff since 2021, Lions fans will trust his judgment.
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