The rebuild in Detroit is about to take its next and arguably most critical step, as multiple NFL insiders are reporting the Lions will hire New Orleans Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell to replace Matt Patricia as head coach.
Signs are pointing towards the Lions hiring Saints AHC Dan Campbell. Over the last 48 hours, Campbell and Titans OC Arthur Smith emerged as co-favorites for the job. When Smith canceled his trip to Detroit, search got simplified.
No contract done (or anything like that) yet.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 15, 2021
#Saints assistant head coach/TEs coach Dan Campbell has emerged as the favorite to be the new #Lions head coach, sources tell me and @TomPelissero. No in-person interview can be conducted until their season has ended, so it’s all on hold officially until then.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 15, 2021
While Campbell hasn’t been officially hired, when there’s smoke as thick as this, there’s usually fire.
Campbell, a former NFL tight end, played for the Lions from 2006-2008 before retiring from the league in 2009. He began his coaching career with the Miami Dolphins in 2010 and has been with the Saints since 2016.
Campbell served as the Dolphins’ interim head coach after Miami fired Joe Philbin in 2015. He went 5-7 over the team’s final 12 games.
