The Lions had a chance to hire Dan Campbell in 2018, but the Lions chose Matt Patricia
It’s always funny the way things turn out. Sometimes you want something so bad, and you think it’s the right time and the right place, and then it just doesn’t work out. But then you find out that maybe there’s a plan for you and things fall the right way. It just happens later. Like […]
It’s always funny the way things turn out. Sometimes you want something so bad, and you think it’s the right time and the right place, and then it just doesn’t work out. But then you find out that maybe there’s a plan for you and things fall the right way. It just happens later. Like when the Lions offered Brad Holmes a job in their Public Relations department in 2003, and he backed out of it to work for the Rams. If Holmes takes the Lions PR job, maybe he never finds his opportunity in the scouting department and then becomes the Lions GM nearly 20 years later. Dan Campbell had a somewhat similar situation.
Dan Campbell tried to get an interview for the Lions’ head coach opening in 2018
Back in 2017, the Lions made what felt like a strange move when they fired Jim Caldwell after a winning season. The Lions’ head coaching job was open, and it was considered a desirable position. The Lions interviewed some interesting candidates like Jim Bob Cooter, Mike Vrabel, and Matt Patricia. One guy who wanted to be interviewed really badly was Dan Campbell.
Campbell’s wife, Holly, sat down for an interview with WDIV 4 this week, and she said that when Campbell played for the Lions from 2006 to 2008, they loved their time in Detroit and told themselves that if there were ever an opportunity to get back here, they would take it.
After getting into coaching in 2010 and eventually finding himself as the Dolphins’ interim head coach in 2015, Campbell got bitten by the bug and wanted to be a head coach. Holly Campbell said in the interview that Campbell tried ot get an interview with the Lions, but couldn’t.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t getting looked at during that time. In that cycle, Campbell had head coach interviews with the Colts, Packers, Cardinals, and Browns. As we know, Campbell didn’t get hired for any of those jobs and went back to being the Saints’ assistant head coach and tight ends coach.
The Lions hired Matt Patricia, and that went horribly wrong. And three years later, Campbell got that interview with the Lions, and here we are. It’s crazy that both Campbell and Holmes could have been with the Lions earlier, but the universe seemingly wouldn’t let it happen.
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