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ESPN's Jake Trotter reported Wednesday the Detroit Lions had an agreement in place with Matt Campbell to be head coach before hiring Dan Campbell.
It’s not much of a reach to say Dan Campbell has already become the best Detroit Lions head coach during the Super Bowl era. No Lions head man has a better win percentage since the organization last won an NFL championship.
But Campbell very nearly wasn’t the team’s next head coach when the Lions last had an opening in 2021.
This week, ESPN’s Jake Trotter dropped a little tidbit in a profile of new Penn State head football coach Matt Campbell. Trotter wrote Wednesday the Lions had an agreement in place during the 2021 offseason with Matt Campbell to be Detroit’s next head coach before hiring Dan Campbell.
“The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year and winningest coach in Iowa State history had rebuffed overtures from other big-time college programs over the years, including from Texas and USC according to sources,” wrote Trotter. “In 2021, Campbell initially agreed to coach the Detroit Lions before changing his mind; the Lions hired Dan Campbell instead.”
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb