Free Press’ Dave Birkett is reporting that the Detroit Lions a few interviews dates for this week.
Dan Campbell, the current New Orleans Saints’ tight end/assistant head coach, is reportedly the first up and will be interviewing with the Lions this morning. While Arthur Smith, the Titans’ offensive coordinator, is on the schedule tomorrow. Todd Bowles, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator, will also interview this week but when is currently unknown.
Campbell is a former NFL tight end, spent three seasons with the Lions in 2006-08, and began his NFL coaching career in 2010 with the Miami Dolphins. At the end of his five years as the Dolphins, Campbell was promoted to interim coach in 2015 after Joe Philben was fired, but he and the rest of the staff were let go at season’s end. The Dolphins finished the season 5-7 with Campbell holding down the fort.
Campbell joined the Saints the next season as their tight ends coach and also carried an assistant head coach (to Sean Payton) title. His name has come up over several head coaching cycles since his time in Miami but has not yet gotten an opportunity.
Smith — one of the original Top-10 coaching options presented by Lions Wire — has been with the Titans since 2011 and calls a deep shot play-action offense that would suit Matthew Stafford. With Derrick Henry at running back, the Titans currently operate with several run-first concepts but Smith has the flexibility in his scheme to adapt to the Lions personnel.
Bowles was first linked to the Lions over the weekend, and a full coaching profile on his career was written up at that time. The main points to know are, he is a former head coach with the New York Jets (2015-2018) and is currently the Buc’s defensive coordinator. As their DC, he has led the Bucs’ defense to a DVOA finish of 6th in 2019, and 5th in 2020. They were the No. 1 rushing defense in the NFL both seasons. And in 2019, the Bucs finished with the 8th most sacks in the NFL, with Shaquil Barrett leading the NFL with 19.5 sacks, while in 2020 the team finished 5th overall.
This would bring their coaching interview total to seven, as the Lions have already completed 4 interviews with head coaching candidates: Marvin Lewis, Former Bengals HC, currently an assistant at Arizona State (background), Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs’ OC (background), Darrell Bevell, Lions’ OC, and Robert Saleh, 49ers’ DC (background).