A former third-round pick of the New York Giants back in 1999, Dan Campbell accumulated quite the winning resume over his 10-year playing career. That carried over into the coaching ranks, as Campbell has served as an assistant for a New Orleans Saints team that has rallied off four consecutive double-digit winning seasons.
Now, the Detroit Lions are hopeful Campbell’s winning ways will transfer to an organization that has made the playoffs just three times over the past 21 seasons — all Wild Card losses.
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Lions Expected to Hire Dan Campbell as Head Coach
The Saints were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday night at the hands of Tom Brady and the Tampa Buccaneers. That game appears to be the final time we’ll ever see Drew Brees in an NFL uniform. However, Brees isn’t the only notable member of the Saints franchise primed to move on.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Detroit Lions are expected to hire Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell as their next head coach. While the two parties have yet to agree to a deal, negotiations are “not considered an obstacle” in the planned hire, sources told Schefter.
Now that New Orleans has been eliminated, the Lions are expected to hire Saints’ Asst HC/TEs Dan Campbell as their next HC, per sources. The two sides still need to work out a deal, but it is not considered an obstacle, and Campbell will be the Lions next head coach.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Campbell will replace the recently fired Matt Patricia at the helm in Detroit. Patricia, along with general manager Bob Quinn, was let go on November 28 following a widely disappointing three-year run in the Motor City that saw the Lions accumulate a 13-29-1 record.
Campbell, 44, has never served as a coordinator in the NFL, yet has operated as Sean Peyton’s right-hand man in New Orleans since 2016. He also served as the Miami Dolphins’ interim head coach for 12 games back in 2012, following the firing of then-head coach Joe Philbin. Campbell went on to lead Miami to five victories and seven losses over his run.
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Campbell Played for Lions, Lost Super Bowl With Giants
Before Campbell began his rise through the coaching ranks, he spent a decade in the NFL as a tight end, including three seasons with the Lions. Selected with the 79th overall pick by the Giants in the 1999 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, Campbell spent four seasons in New York. He even drew the start for Big Blue in their Super Bowl XXXV loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
After stops in Dallas and Detroit, Campbell latched on with New Orleans in 2009. While a knee injury sustained in training camp landed him on injured reserve, Campbell still earned a ring following the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Campbell retired from the NFL following the conclusion of the season.
Campbell’s Quest to Turn Around the Lions
The Lions interviewed at least six candidates for their head coaching vacancy: former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, newly hired Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, newly hired New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell and Campbell, via ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.
Campbell, along with recently hired general manager Brad Holmes, will now look to help turn around a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 1991. The Lions have four “league championships” to their name (1935, 1952, 1953, 1957), all of which preceded the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
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Former Giants TE Set to Land NFL Head Coaching Gig: Report