Dan Campbell Speaks Out on Former Lions Assistant Coach Losing Panthers Job

Getty Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed former Lions assistant Duce Staley losing his job with the Carolina Panthers.

A couple different assistants for Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell could see interest from NFL teams for head coaching jobs this offseason. Most notably, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is considered one of the top candidates to fill a head coaching vacancy after this season.

Former Lions assistant coach Duce Staley, though, will be looking for a new job out of necessity.

The Carolina Panthers announced on November 27 that the team has parting ways with Staley. He was in his first season as an assistant head coach and running backs coach in Carolina.

Staley served in the same role for Campbell and the Lions from 2021-22.

Campbell addressed Staley losing his job during his press conference on November 27.

“I just kinda found out about that,” Campbell told reporters. “It’s unfortunate. I hate that for him. You don’t want to hear anybody losing their job. It’s tough.”

The Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich after dropping their 10th game of the season with a loss in Week 12. Carolina owns an NFL-worse 1-10 record.

Interim head coach Chris Tabor will replace Reich.

In his first act as head coach, Tabor departed with Staley and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.

Panthers Depart With Former Lions Assistant Coach Duce Staley

Carolina decided on November 27 not to wait until the end of the season to clean house on its coaching staff.

Tabor, who was the team’s special teams coordinator, will finish the season as interim head coach. But Tabor will be short three offensive coaches, including Reich, for the final six games.

The Carolina offense has struggled this season. After Week 12, the Panthers are ranked 29th in points and 30th in offensive yards.

Under Staley, the Panthers were 29th in rushing yards. Last season, the Panthers were 10th in rushing yards.

Part of the problem has been Carolina falling behind in games. The Panthers were 12th in rushing attempts last season but are 24th this year because they haven’t held many leads in 2023.

After serving as a coaching intern in 2010, Staley officially began his coaching career as a special teams quality control coach in 2011 with the Philadelphia Eagles. He became the team’s running backs coach in 2013 and then assumed the assistant head coach title in 2018.

On Campbell’s first coaching staff in Detroit, Staley was assistant head coach and running backs coach.

The Lions were 19th in rushing yards during Staley’s first season in 2021. They rose to 11th in rushing last year.

Also in 2022, the Lions were third in the NFL with 23 rushing touchdowns.

Lions RB Coach Scottie Montgomery Floated as Potential NFL Head Coaching Candidate

The Lions hired Scottie Montgomery as Staley’s replacement last offseason. Ironically, Montgomery worked under Reich with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021-22.

Montgomery has done a terrific job during his first season with the Lions. Detroit is ranked in the top six in rushing yards, yards per carry and rushing touchdowns this season. Rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs has also been heavily involved in the passing game.

In fact, Montgomery has done so well this year that he could be one of a couple Lions coaches who receive interview inquiries for head coaching jobs.

On November 1, Fansided NFL writer Ryan Heckman named Montgomery a “dark horse” candidate to become Las Vegas Raiders head coach after the team fired Josh McDaniels.

Even with the assistant head coach title, running back coaches don’t typically get a lot of hype to become an NFL head coach.

But if Montgomery did receive a head coaching opportunity this offseason, it will be interesting to see if a Staley-Lions reunion could be possible.