The Detroit Lions are reportedly planning to hire New Orleans Saints assistant coach Dan Campbell as the team’s next head coach.
Now that New Orleans has been eliminated, the Lions are expected to hire Saints’ Asst HC/TEs Dan Campbell as their next HC, per sources. The two sides still need to work out a deal, but it is not considered an obstacle, and Campbell will be the Lions next head coach.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2021
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Campbell is expected to finish exit interviews with the Saints, with a formal deal coming mid-week, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:
Update: While Dan Campbell will be the #Lions coach, it won’t be official until Wednesday because he wants to do exit interviews with his current #Saints players first. Classy move. https://t.co/F0tp1AFPBI
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2021
Campbell has head coaching experience -- as an interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2015. He went 5-7 during that stint. Since then, he’s been a top assistant on Sean Payton’s staff in New Orleans.
Campbell, 44, actually played tight end for the Lions from 2006 to 2008, appearing in 19 games. He was part of the infamous 0-16 season. He was also part of the Saints Super Bowl winning team in 2009-2010, but was injured before the season started that year and never played a game. He retired as a player after that season.
The Lions hired a general manager on Thursday, bringing in Brad Holmes, the college director of scouting for the L.A. Rams. If Campbell is the guy, the Lions won’t be able to hire him until the Saints season is over.
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