PARIS LIGHTS TAB SHELTON AS FIRST HEAD COACH

The Paris Lights have made the first significant move in franchise history, appointing David Shelton Sr as the inaugural head coach of the newest American Football League Europe organisation.

The hire represents a foundational step for the expansion side as it begins assembling the necessary football operations ahead of its debut season, with Shelton tasked not simply with leading a roster, but with shaping the club’s identity from the outset.

Shelton arrives with experience spanning both sides of the Atlantic. A former safety at City College of San Francisco and Fresno State, he also spent time in the Canadian Football League with Edmonton before transitioning to the sidelines.

His early coaching work came in the United States, where he handled the secondary for the semi-professional Pacifica Outlaws. He later joined the staff at Justin-Siena High School in Napa, contributing to a programme that claimed a national championship, before adding further collegiate experience at Santa Barbara City College.

More recently, Shelton has been embedded in the European professional game. In 2023, he served as offensive coordinator of the Leipzig Kings, gaining familiarity with the structure and logistical demands of cross-border competition. A year later, he stepped into a head coaching role with the Barcelona Dragons, overseeing a full professional programme and navigating the competitive realities of the continental landscape.

That trajectory now leads him to Paris.

As the first head coach in franchise history, Shelton’s remit extends beyond play-calling and personnel decisions. He will be responsible for establishing standards, installing culture, and building credibility in a crowded European marketplace where start-ups are judged quickly and often harshly.

For the Lights, the appointment signals intent, opting for experience over experimentation as the ground-up build gets set to take on some of the most powerful teams in Europe.