On Jan. 20, 2021 the Detroit Lions named Dan Campbell the franchise's new head coach.
Campbell possesses 23 years of NFL experience, including 12 years as a coach and 11 as a player. In his first year as the Lions' head coach, Campbell helped instill a new culture built on grit, conviction and collaboration on and off the field. Upon arrival, Campbell assembled a proven coaching staff that included several former NFL players that brought a wealth of knowledge and passion to Detroit's roster.
With one of the NFL's youngest rosters in 2021, 85 players saw the field for the Lions last season, 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 – including a 30-12 statement win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15 and a 37-30 win over rival Green Bay in Week 18.
In his first year, Campbell, alongside Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes, emphasized building through the Draft as the foundational identity of the team. With core pieces in T Penei Sewell (first round, seventh overall), WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (fourth round, 112th overall) and DL Alim McNeill (third round, 72nd overall), Campbell and Holmes set out this season to acquire even more talent. In the 2022 NFL Draft, Detroit added two first-round picks in DL Aidan Hutchinson and WR Jameson Williams, as well as six more players to round out the newest draft class.
In addition to re-signing several key pieces from last season, including DL Charles Harris, WR Kalif Raymond, S Tracy Walker, LB Alex Anzalone, WR Josh Reynolds and FB Jason Cabinda, Campbell recruited unrestricted free agents WR DJ Chark, S DeShon Elliott, CB Mike Hughes and LB Chris Board to join this year's team. At their introductory press conferences, Chark and Elliott echoed what Campbell's new culture is all about.
"I actually kept up with the Lions last season," Chark said. "And I appreciated the way that they hustled, and the grit and the way they persevered and went from tying games to winning games to playing better. And I truly appreciated the way that this staff kept that team together and had faith in those guys."
"It was a slobberknocker," Elliott said of what he remembers from playing the Lions last season as a member of the Ravens. "(The Lions) played so hard, and I could just tell from that game they love their coaches, by the way they play. They really bought in and love the experience they have in the building."
Prior to becoming the head coach in Detroit, Campbell most recently 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 2019, Campbell helped coach TE Jared Cook to a Pro Bowl berth in Cook's first season with the Saints. Cook established a career-high average for yards per reception (16.4) that season under Campbell, while fellow TE Josh Hill posted a career-high 25 receptions for 226 yards and three touchdowns. During the 2017 season, Campbell's group saw three different players make starts at tight end, while still helping produce the NFL's fifth-best rushing offense.
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 that season, 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. Additionally, QB Ryan Tannehill became the first Dolphins signal-caller to pass for at least 4,000 yards in consecutive seasons since Dan Marino (1984-86).
Prior to taking over interim duties with the Dolphins, Campbell was responsible for mentoring Miami's tight ends unit dating back to 2011, after initially joining the Dolphins in 2010 as a coaching intern. In 2014, TE Charles Clay helped pace Campbell's unit with 58 receptions, 605 yards and three touchdowns, while the unit collectively helped pave the way for RB Lamar Miller's first 1,000-yard season.
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 third-round 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.
