How Lions HC Dan Campbell ignored a typical NFL trend in the name of kindness
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is an intense "football guy" who has spent his entire career building a reputation as a hard-nosed coach with an old-school feel. Beneath the intense persona, however, is a human being that ultimately just wants the best for his players and his coaching staff. Campbell might be hard-nosed, but […]
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is an intense "football guy" who has spent his entire career building a reputation as a hard-nosed coach with an old-school feel.
Beneath the intense persona, however, is a human being that ultimately just wants the best for his players and his coaching staff.
Campbell might be hard-nosed, but he's also incredibly caring. And he proved that this offseason by ignoring a typical NFL trend in the name of kindness.
Earlier this offseason, the Lions lost defensive line coach Todd Wash to the Carolina Panthers.
Leaving Detroit for Carolina was a lateral move for Wash (considering the state of the franchises, it might even be a step backward). And because it was a lateral move, it could've been blocked by Campbell and the Lions.
But that's not what happened. Instead of holding Wash hostage, Campbell let the assistant coach out of his contract so he could join the Panthers' staff. Wash made the move so he could be closer to his family in Jacksonville (it's much easier to get to Jacksonville from Charlotte than from Detroit).
On Wednesday, Wash expressed appreciation to Campbell for letting him out of his contract so he could be closer to family.
Typically, lateral moves like this are blocked by coaches/teams. But that's not how Campbell rolls. Sure, he's a demanding head coach that expects 100 percent from players and coaches every day, but he's also empathetic. And he showed that by the way he treated Wash earlier this offseason. That's something that other coaches around the league will notice. And it's why Campbell will never have an issue finding quality assistant coaches.
