On Jan. 20, 2021 the Detroit Lions named Dan Campbell the franchise's new head coach.
Campbell possesses 28 years of NFL experience, including 17 years as a coach and 11 as a player. Since his first year as the Lions' head coach, Campbell has helped instill a culture built on grit, conviction and collaboration on and off the field. Since his arrival, Campbell has assembled, developed and maintained a proven coaching staff comprised of several former NFL players that have brought a wealth of knowledge and passion to Detroit's roster.
During Campbell's tenure, the Lions have embarked upon a new era of success that has included winning seasons each of the last four years (9-8 in 2022, 12-5 in 2023, 15-2 in 2024, 9-8 in 2025). The last time the Lions accomplished this feat came during the 1969-72 seasons.
Since taking over as Lions head coach, Detroit's roster has ascended to one of the most complete in the NFL. In his first five seasons, the following Lions have earned Associated Press All-Pro honors, in addition to several Pro Bowl recognitions.
The success of Campbell's Lions has also resulted in growth opportunities for his coaches across the league. Following the 2024 season, former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn both received head coaching opportunities with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, respectively. In total, six additional coaches have made the jump from position coach to either coordinator or the assistant head coach level, including current defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard (previously Lions LB coach 2021-2024).
In 2024, Campbell's Lions set records in the regular season, posting the most wins (15), touchdowns scored (70) and points scored (564) in a single season in franchise history. The Lions captured their second-consecutive NFC North division title with a 31-9 win in Week 18 over rival Minnesota and secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in team history. From October 2022 to December 2025, the Lions under Campbell accomplished a historic streak of going 15 games across nearly three seasons without losing back-to-back games. \After claiming the division title in 2023, the team's first in 30 years, Campbell's team capitalized on a postseason run built on homefield advantage that led to the first time the Lions have ever hosted multiple playoff games in the same season. Detroit secured its first playoff win since the 1991 season after beating the Los Angeles Rams, 24-23, in the Wild Card Round, and went on to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-23, in the Divisional Round. Campbell is just the third coach in team history to win multiple playoff games, joining George Wilson (1957) and Buddy Parker (1953). Rooted in a culture based on resilience, Detroit did not lose consecutive games within a single season in 2023 for the first time since 1972.
In 2022, Campbell's Lions overcame a 1-6 start to finish 8-2 in the final 10 games of the season. Detroit finished with a 9-8 record overall, capped off by a 20-16 win at Green Bay on Sunday Night Football to eliminate the Packers from playoff contention. With one of the NFL's youngest rosters in 2021, 85 players saw the field for the Lions in Campbell's first season at the helm, which tied for the third most in the NFL behind the Jets (87) and Titans (91). In 2021, 10 different Lions rookies started a combined 66 games, and the Lions featured at least one rookie player on 100 percent of offensive snaps. The leadership from Campbell and the coaching staff resulted in consistent player development, as the Lions finished the season winning three of their final six games of the season.
Prior to becoming the head coach in Detroit, Campbell served as the assistant head coach/tight ends coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016 – 2020. During the span of his five-year coaching tenure with New Orleans, the club captured four NFC South division titles, ranked first in the NFL in points scored (2,361), touchdowns (277), net yardage (31,147) and posted the third-most wins (56) in the League.
In 2015, Campbell became the Miami Dolphins' interim head coach following organizational changes, where he took over a 1-3 team that had lost three consecutive contests and immediately helped the team win its first two games under his leadership. The Dolphins finished 5-7 under Campbell, including a 20-10 win over the New England Patriots in the season finale. Under Campbell, Miami improved eight spots in the NFL's rushing yards per game rankings and saw five Dolphins selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015.
Campbell entered the NFL coaching ranks following an 11-year playing career with the New York Giants (1999-2002), Dallas Cowboys (2003-05), Detroit Lions (2006-08) and New Orleans Saints (2009). A thirdround selection by the Giants in the 1999 NFL Draft, the former tight end appeared in 114 total career games (76 starts) and caught 91 passes for 934 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was a member of the Giants team that appeared in Super Bowl XXXV following the 2001 season. In his first year as a player with the Lions in 2006, Campbell posted career-highs in receiving yards (308), yards per reception (14.7) and touchdowns (four).
As the 28th head coach in franchise history, Campbell is also the fifth former Lions player to be named full-time head coach for the team and the first since Joe Schmidt, who played for Detroit from 1953-65 and served as head coach from 1967-72.
A Clifton, Texas native, Campbell attended Texas A&M, where he was a four-year letterman for the Aggies and majored in agricultural development. Campbell and his wife, Holly, have a son, Cody, and a daughter, Piper.
