One of Nick Saban’s star pupils at Alabama makes a slam-dunk career move with top NFL contender
The Detroit Lions have promoted Shaun Dion Hamilton, a former Alabama Crimson Tide standout, to the role of linebackers coach, the team announced earlier this week.
A Montgomery, Alabama native, Hamilton played for the Crimson Tide from 2014 to 2017 under legendary coach Nick Saban. His contributions helped Alabama clinch National Championships in 2015 and 2017. In his senior year, he was named a permanent team captain, a testament to his leadership.
“Some people think I’m relatively young or whatnot,” the 29-year-old Hamilton said. “But I’ve worked extremely hard since I’ve started coaching to prepare myself for this moment. Day in, day out, week in, week out, it’s a 24/7, 365-day grind to set myself up for this opportunity and moment right now.”
Hamilton saw action in 15 games during the 2015 season, recording 27 tackles. In 2017, despite being limited to nine games due to injury, he racked up 40 tackles, demonstrating his tenacity.
Selected by the Washington Commanders in the sixth round (197th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft, Hamilton played three seasons (2018–2020), appearing in 46 games with seven starts. His stats included 89 tackles (63 solo), nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one interception.
In 2021, Hamilton joined the Detroit Lions as a player before transitioning to coaching the following year.
“I feel like all of my coaches, from growing up by the time I started playing college ball,” Hamilton said, “they thought that I was very intelligent: ‘One day you could see yourself coaching.’
“We were going through training camp in 2022, and I remember (Glenn) was telling me like, ‘Man, you’re going to be a coach one day.’ I didn’t know my playing days were slowing coming to an end. But after I got released, I met with (head coach) Dan (Campbell), (general manager) Brad (Holmes), AG, and they gave me the opportunity.”
Hamilton’s coaching career with Detroit began in 2022 as a defensive assistant. He served as the assistant linebackers coach in 2023 and 2024. Following Aaron Glenn’s move to head coach of the New York Jets and Kelvin Sheppard’s promotion to defensive coordinator, Hamilton filled the linebackers coach vacancy.
Now in his fourth season with the Lions’ staff, Hamilton’s progression from player to coach highlights the trust and potential that the Lions’ coaching staff, and those before them, have seen in him.
“It wasn’t hard at all,” Hamilton said of accepting a spot with the Detroit coaching staff. “I tell people every box that any football player could want, I’ve checked. From playing at Alabama, winning national championships, you get drafted, you make it to the league, you made plays in the league – I mean, I’ve checked all my boxes.
“And one thing, I’m a big, like, making a difference in other people’s lives, so what better opportunity than now? I want to be the coach maybe that I never had.”
