"The person they go with is nothing like him": Dan Campbell’s wife exposes hidden dysfunction behind NFL's flawed hiring system

Detroit Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell’s wife, Holly Campbell, has revealed the frustrating process behind his NFL job hunting. Campbell was hired by the Lions in 2021 after different coaching roles in Miami and New Orleans.

Speaking earlier in the week on Detroit Sports Podcast, Holly revealed her husband’s experience interviewing to be head coach at multiple NFL teams. She said:

“He had five interviews before he got this job. It is hard. It’s hard to see him disappointed. It’s hard to see him go in there, and they say what they’re wanting is basically like the criteria is him, and then they go in another direction, which is fine. There’s more than one way to do it, but the person they go with is nothing like him.”

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The wait was worth it for the Campbells, eventually, as the Lions hired him. Holly said:

“You don’t need everybody to want you. You just need one, and we’re sure glad it was Detroit. So yes, it was worth it.”

Before venturing into coaching, Dan Campbell played tight end in the NFL for 11 seasons. Detroit was one of the stops in Campbell’s playing career, featuring for the Lions from 2006 till 2008.

Dan Campbell’s Detroit tenure so far

Campbell had a rough start to life as the Lions coach, ending the 2021 season 4th in the NFC North and missing out on the playoffs. A slightly better 2022 season saw the Lions finish 9-8 and second in the NFC North, missing the playoffs again.

However, he has since led Detroit to two straight top-place finishes in the NFC North. However, losses in the divisional and conference championship games still leave much to be desired by Detroit fans.

Halfway through the ongoing campaign, Dan Campbell’s Detroit is still topping the NFC North with a 6-3 record after Week 10. The expectation is huge on Campbell’s shoulders now, much more than in the previous seasons, to guide the Lions to a Super Bowl championship.

The team’s last game saw it dominate the Washington Commanders in front of their own fans, beating them 44-22 with President Donald Trump in attendance.

The Philadelphia Eagles are the Lions’ next opponent in a battle of two NFC division leaders. A less intimidating opponent awaits the Lions in Week 12 when they face the New York Giants, currently at the bottom of the NFC East.

Edited by Kayode Akinwumi