It’s not much of a reach to say Dan Campbell has already become the best Detroit Lions head coach during the Super Bowl era. No Lions head man has a better win percentage since the organization last won an NFL championship.
But Campbell very nearly wasn’t the team’s next head coach when the Lions last had an opening in 2021.
This week, ESPN’s Jake Trotter dropped a little tidbit in a profile of new Penn State head football coach Matt Campbell.
Trotter wrote Wednesday the Lions had an agreement in place during the 2021 offseason with Matt Campbell to be Detroit’s next head coach before hiring Dan Campbell.
“The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year and winningest coach in Iowa State history had rebuffed overtures from other big-time college programs over the years, including from Texas and USC according to sources,” wrote Trotter. “In 2021, Campbell initially agreed to coach the Detroit Lions before changing his mind; the Lions hired Dan Campbell instead.”
Lions Nearly Hired Matt Campbell as Head Coach in 2021: Report
Trotter’s story was a long piece detailing Campell’s journey to Penn State. The ESPN reporter didn’t expand at all on his one sentence about Campbell nearly becoming the Lions head coach five years ago.
Campbell simply addressed “changing his mind” about the Lions job in one sentence as well.
“Leaving Ames wasn’t something that I was looking to do or wanting to do.”
Detroit sports fans, though, would certainly love to have more information. The most pressing question is rather obvious — how far along did Campbell get in the process of becoming Lions head coach?
Was merely a handshake agreement in place? Did he change his mind after a couple hours? A day?
At the time, Campbell was coming off a 9-3 season at Iowa State. That campaign included a 34-17 Fiesta Bowl victory against Oregon. Iowa State ended the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll.
Over 10 seasons at Iowa State, Campbell posted a 72-55 record. In 2026, he is taking over a Penn State program which is only a year removed from a College Football National semifinals appearance.
Dan Campbell’s Success With Detroit Lions
There’s no doubting the success Matt Campbell experienced at Iowa State. But the Lions appear to have benefitted from the former Cyclones head coach changing his mind about coming to Detroit.
The Lions pivoted to a different Campbell — Dan. It’s been one of the organization’s best decisions in recent memory.
Although the 2025 campaign was a disappointment, Campbell has established a winning culture in Detroit that the Lions haven’t had in decades. Last season, the Lions recorded their fourth consecutive winning campaign for the first time since 1969-72.
Campbell has led the Lions to all kinds of other “firsts” since the 2023 season. His next goal is to get the organization to its first Super Bowl. Detroit won its last NFL title in 1957.
Campbell owns a 48-36-1 record as Lions head coach. His .571 win percentage is the best of any head coach in team history during the Super Bowl era.
Campbell is also 2-2 in the postseason.
Maybe the Lions would have experienced the same success with Matt Campbell. But it’s pretty safe to say the organization has to be pleased with the way things worked out with its 2021 head coaching search.
Dan Campbell Nearly Didn’t Become Lions Head Coach: Report