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According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, current assistant head coach / tight ends coach Dan Campbell will be the head coach of the Detroit Lions.
“Today you’re going to see the next Detroit Lions head coach on the Saints’ staff,” Rapoport said Sunday morning. “Dan Campbell, assistant head coach and tight ends coach for the New Orleans Saints, is expected to be the Lions’ next coach – a decision they made at the end of the week.”
Rapoport notes, obviously, that it can’t be official until the Saints are out of the playoffs. He also expects the team to engage him in a second interview before finalizing the deal, but says the hiring “should take place.”
Campbell had been considered a finalist for a few days since the Lions hired Brad Holmes as their next general manager on Thursday. There were reports that Detroit may have had other finalists into consideration, but it was never clear if there were any really close contenders for Campbell.
It won’t be Campbell’s first chance as a head coach. In 2015, Campbell took over as interim head coach of the Dolphins after Miami sacked Joe Philbin after a 1-3 start. Campbell, who has been described as a players’ coach, then led Miami to a 5-7 home stretch record, including an emotional win over the Patriots in the season finale.
Campbell didn’t win the Dolphins job in 2016, but he landed an assistant head coach job alongside Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints.
Campbell comes with a lot of praise, including endorsements from Bill Parcells, Drew Brees and, of course, Sean Payton.
“He’s a fantastic leader,” Payton told ESPN in 2018. “Obviously he’s been in this league for a long time. It is whatever you want. Extremely dedicated, hardworking. He was exactly as he was as a player. And I tried to hire her several times and finally got this opportunity. So, we are lucky to have it.
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