The Detroit Lions have agreed in principle to a six-year deal with Dan Campbell to become the team’s next coach, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday, after the New Orleans Saints were eliminated from the postseason, that Campbell was expected to be hired as the Lions’ head coach.
Campbell, Saints assistant coach and tight end coach, replaces Matt Patricia, who was fired in November after less than three seasons with the Lions and a 13-29-1 record. The Lions will try to recover after finishing last in the NFC North for the past three seasons.
Campbell is expected to lead the Saints assistant team, Aaron Glenn, as defensive coordinator. Glenn has a few more suitors, but Detroit is the favorite, the source told Fowler.
Campbell, 44, who has never been an NFL coordinator, sees himself as a motivator and someone who can put together a team, rather than an X-and-O guru. The Lions had been looking for people they considered unifiers, as they identified qualities they considered important to winning a franchise that won a playoff in the Super Bowl era and won their last title in 1993.
Campbell doesn’t have much experience as head coach (only 12 games as interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins), but the Lions clearly saw enough to pair him with newly hired general manager Brad Holmes. Without experience in the call of plays on both sides of the ball, to whom Campbell contributes as coordinators his success will be fundamental.
During Holmes ’introductory press conference Tuesday, the Lions said the three Holmes, Campbell and vice president of football administration Mike Disner will report on team president Rod Wood, creating a balanced structure. When asked if Holmes or Campbell would have the final opinion on the 53-man list, Wood said it would be a collaborative process.
“Everyone will have contributions,” Wood said. “Like we talked about, we want a culture where everyone works together and I think it will work well once we have the new head coach in place.”
The Lions had conducted their searches simultaneously for Holmes and Campbell, often asking candidates if they had people in mind the other position they would want to work with. After Holmes was hired last week, Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp said Holmes spoke with some of his remaining candidates.
Campbell played 10 seasons in the NFL, including the last three years of his career with the Lions.
ESPN’s Michael Rothstein contributed to this report.