Tag: Dan Campbell

Dan Campbell promises Lions will ‘bite the kneecap’ off opponents in wild introductory press conference

Ok then.

You can’t say Dan Campbell isn’t excited about his new job.

The Detroit Lions coach said he wouldn’t bore the media with false promises or cliched coach-speak during his introductory press conference on Thursday.

Campbell certainly delivered. Already touted by ESPN reporter Michael Rothstein as heading “toward one of the best introductory press conferences in history,” the presser, which was over an hour long, had all sorts of wild moments. At one point, it felt like he was delivering play by play for a boxing match.

“We’re going to kick you in the teeth, all right?” Campbell told reporters. “And when you punch us back, we’re going to smile at you. And when you knock us down, we’re going to get back up and on the way up, we’re going to bite a kneecap off, all right? And then it’s going to take us two more shots to knock us down. And on the way up, we’re going to take your other kneecap. … Before long, we’re going to be the last one standing.”

Though Campbell’s comments are a little more epic– and gory — than we’re accustomed to hearing, they are pretty much on brand for the coach speak he promised he wouldn’t deploy. But unlike ex-Lions coach Matt Patricia, Campbell’s relationships with the media seems to be off to a nice start.

And that’s a good thing considering his experience isn’t necessarily on par with the other candidates who were in the mix for the job. Campbell was the Dolphins’ tight end coach from 2011 to 2015 before moving into the interim head coaching role in 2015. He then joined the Saints in 2016, where he was the assistant to the head coach and tight ends coach. The Lions missed out on two of the top candidates, Robert Saleh (who went to the Jets) and Arthur Smith (who went to the Falcons). But Eric Bieniemy, the Chiefs offensive coordinator who interviewed with Detroit, was still available.

Campbell’s bloody, violent jargon isn’t exactly what I’d call impressive — nor do I think it’s actually the sort of coaching that will prove effective in helping the pro athletes employed by the Lions to go out and beat the equally motivated and tough pro athletes of other teams.

But I guess if his act creates some buzz with media and fans, and eventually it motivates his players to work hard and buy into systems put in place by Campbell’s coordinators, then it might be fine.

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The reactions to the epic Dan Campbell intro press conference are amazing

Campbell inspired great passion with his intense introductory press conference

The Dan Campbell introductory press conference is going to go down in history as one of the most epic coaching intros in NFL history. Campbell offered a passionate 20-minute opening statement, followed by another 45 minutes of wildly enthusiastic answers that often veered far from the questions being asked.

It was not your father’s press conference. It was most certainly not Matt Patricia’s press conference, or really like any we’ve seen before. There were honest tears of emotion. There was casual profanity. There was poignancy. There was very specific Xs and Os breakdowns. There was 100 percent honesty and free-flowing of thought from Campbell, the new Detroit Lions head coach.

And fans LOVED it. The Twitter reaction had folks ready to suit up and run through walls for Campbell.

 

Watch: Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell comes out firing

Dan Campbell is bringing a new attitude to the Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have a new head coach in Dan Campbell. At his introductory press conference, the former New Orleans Saints assistant said he is ready to bring a spark that has been missing from the Motor City team.

NSFW language:

Campbell also showed a sense of humor as to how he landed the job.

 

New Lions head coach Dan Campbell: ‘I wanted this job bad’ in his passionate opening statement

Campbell showed intensity and emotion in a wild opening statement to his introductory press conference

“I wanted this job. Bad.”

Lest anyone question Dan Campbell’s passion for his new job as the head coach of the Detroit Lions, Campbell himself made it clear with his passionate opening statement in his introductory press conference.

His passion for his new job poured out of Campbell. His opening statement lasted nearly 20 minutes. It rambled into all sorts of different areas. Not all of it made a ton of sense, but every single word oozed passion for football and for making the Detroit Lions a winning football team.

Campbell had tears in his eyes as he spoke about his vision for what he wants his Lions team to be, the football passion just flowed.

“We’re going to kick you in the teeth and when you punch us back we’re going to smile at you. And when you knock us down we’re going to get up, and on the way up we’re going to bite a kneecap off.”

There’s a new sheriff in town, one that isn’t going to mince words. Welcome back to Detroit, Dan Campbell!

Now excuse me, I have a wall to run through for coach…

Eagles block Lions’ request to interview special teams coordinator Dave Fipp

Eagles block Lions’ request to interview special teams coordinator Dave Fipp

As the Eagles look to name their own head coach, another franchise is looking to nab one of their veteran coaches.

Philadelphia has blocked the Lions from interviewing special teams coach Dave Fipp for a position on the staff of new head coach Dan Campbell, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Fipp remains under contract with the Eagles and he could land on the staff of the next head coach hired by Jeffrey Lurie.

Fipp and Campbell worked together with the Dolphins in 2011 and 2012.

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It’s official: Detroit Lions hire Dan Campbell as their head coach

After a week of speculation, it’s now official: the Detroit Lions have hired Saints tight end/assistant head coach Dan Campbell as their head coach.

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After a week of speculation, it’s now official: The Detroit Lions have hired former Saints tight ends coach/assistant head coach Dan Campbell as their next head coach. The deal is reportedly a six-year contract.

From the beginning of the coaching search, the Lions said they were targeting a coach with great leadership and teamwork skills who can work alongside a general manager to create a positive culture of inclusivity, awareness, and open communication. With Campbell, they believe they got their man.

Campbell was selected in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft by the New York Giants. He would play in the league for 11 years, including three (2006-08) with the Lions, and retired after being part of the Saints 2009-10 Super Bowl-winning team.

In 2010 he took a coaching internship position with the Miami Dolphins and was promoted to tight ends coach the next season. He remained in that role until 2015 when he took over as interim coach after Joe Philbin was fired, finishing out the final 12 games. He would go 5-7 over that period and was not retained at season’s end.

He was immediately offered several coaching opportunities, including deals from the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings, but he took a job as a tight ends coach and assistant head coach with Saints because he wanted an opportunity to work with coach Sean Payton. Campbell played for Payton and Bill Parcells in Dallas, and because of this previous relationship, Campbell believed it provided him an opportunity to maximize his development.

Campbell has been interviewed regularly for head-coaching positions since leaving Miami, even being one of the finalists for the Colts job in 2018, but he never found a fit until Detroit came calling.

The Lions were looking for a coach with intangibles, not necessarily someone an offensive/defensive guru.

“My No. 1, core traits were, first of all, he’s got to be a leader of men,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said when describing what he was looking for in a head coach. “He’s got to be a leader of men. He’s got to have presence and within that presence, he’s got to have poise. He has to have confidence. He has to have command. He has to have mental toughness. He has to have intelligence, and I stress the mental toughness part because there will be ups and downs where that stress tolerance has to be at the right level, and to be able to persevere through those moments.”

While Campbell has never been a coordinator, he checks all the boxes Holmes listed above. Campbell is known as a motivator with strong leadership skills. Someone that players want to play for, while also respecting what he has to say because he was once in their shoes.

“He’s a guy who played a long time,” Saints QB Drew Brees told ESPN’s Mike Triplett. “So he’s got a level of respect coming from guys for how he played — he’s a tough, physical guy. He just really cares about his players. You can see that in the way he talks to us, talks to his position group. He’s just got a lot of great leadership qualities in that way. And I think he’s just a good person.

“So you combine all those things, and then he’s a person that you want to follow. And a person you believe in and you know he’s gonna be honest with you.”

Saints left tackle Terron Armstead also spoke highly of Campbell.

“He got it, man. He got it. Everybody here would do whatever for that guy,” Armstead said. “Being so relatable, having done it for so long, just has a great connection with the younger players. I’ve never seen him badmouth anybody, [it’s] more talking up to you. Even when they mess up, he’s gonna talk up to them. And you just want to play for somebody like that.

“You want to run through a brick wall for him. I would.”

The Lions want to change their culture, and with Campbell, they will get an opportunity to do that.

Dan Campbell, Lions reach agreement on 6-year contract

The Detroit Lions reached an agreement with former New Orleans Saints assistant head coach/tight ends Dan Campbell on a 6-year contract.

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Multiple reports on Wednesday shared news of an agreement in principle between the Detroit Lions and Dan Campbell, the former New Orleans Saints assistant head coach and tight ends coach. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler added that the proposed contract will run for six years, similar to other first-time head coaching deals around the league.

Still, it’s a big commitment to make to someone who’s such a large unknown. Campbell wasn’t the most prominent position coach in New Orleans, and his previous experience at the top of an organization was his 5-7 run as the Miami Dolphins interim coach back in 2015.

But he’ll have plenty of help. Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn is expected to leave town with Campbell and work as his defensive coordinator in Detroit. Campbell has been in the league for a while both as a coach and a player (he finished his career with the Saints in 2009) and should be able to build his staff in a hurry. We’ll just have to wait and see how this shakes out for the Lions.

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Report: Detroit Lions to sign Saints DB coach Aaron Glenn as next defensive coordinator

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Detroit Lions to sign Saints DB coach Aaron Glenn as their next defensive coordinator.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Detroit Lions will sign New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn as their next defensive coordinator.

Glenn was the 12th overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft by the New York Jets. He would go on to play in the league for 15 years and was recognized with three All-Pro nominations and three Pro Bowl nods.

After retirement, his first step back into the league was as a scout for the New York Jets during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. In 2014, he joined the Browns as an assistant defensive backs coach before joining the Saints in 2016 as their defensive backs coach, where he spent the last five seasons.

Glenn and anticipated head coach Dan Campbell coached together for the last five years in New Orleans but their relationship goes back further than that, as they played together for the Dallas Cowboys back in 2006 and both are also alums of Texas A&M.

Bill Parcells was the coach of the Cowboys in 2006, and both Campbell and Glenn’s coaching roots stem from his influence.

Glenn is known as a coach who is constantly trying to learn and grow as a professional. In addition to seeking advice from Parcells, Glenn spends time in the offseason learning from other defensive-minded coaches.

With the Saints, Glenn has led their secondary to become one of the best complete units in the NFL and the Lions will surely be looking for him to add that depth of knowledge towards improving their secondary as well.

Report: Several teams considering Saints assistant Aaron Glenn for DC openings

New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn is a popular candidate for defensive coordinator openings around the NFL, per reports.

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NFL head coaching vacancies are being filled quickly around the league, and it appears New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn won’t get one of those opportunities just yet. Instead, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Glenn is a favored candidate for the open defensive coordinator job in several different spots.

Now, which teams those may be are anyone’s guess. But it makes sense that Glenn could be connected to other Saints alums leaving town, like Dan Campbell — the next Detroit Lions head coach who has worked with tight ends in New Orleans the last few years. Like Campbell, Glenn finished his playing career with the Saints before pivoting to coaching. He and Campbell could team up together again in Detroit given their shared history on Sean Payton’s staff.

Another option could be the Atlanta Falcons, where longtime Saints personnel executive Terry Fontenot is the new general manager. But first-year Falcons coach Arthur Smith may have other candidates in mind. It’s less likely that Glenn could join the New York Jets, who plan to run new head coach Robert Saleh’s scheme, which he isn’t as familiar with. Glenn has been linked to the Jets often (his first non-playing job was in the Jets scouting department), so who knows. We’ll just have to wait and see.

One factor worth noting: the NFL’s new incentive for minority candidate hires only applies to head coach and general managers. If another team hires Glenn, who is Black, as their defensive coordinator then the Saints would not receive any compensatory draft picks, unlike the hiring of Fontenot.

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Detroit Lions are restructuring their front office, starting at the top

The Detroit Lions are not only hiring a new general manager and head coach, but they’re restructuring their front office, and starting at the top.

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The Detroit Lions are not only hiring a new general manager (Brad Holmes) and head coach (presumably Dan Campbell), but they’re restructuring their front office, and it’s starting at the top.

Under previous general manager Bob Quinn’s tenure with the Lions, he was not only the GM but also the team’s Director of Football Operations. After Quinn was fired, our Jeff Risdon wrote about how those two positions should be separate and the Lions would be best-served separating the roles between two individuals.

“Handling both jobs was too big for Quinn,” Risdon said. “It’s a mistake the Lions can’t make once again. They need to hire a separate director of football operations from the new GM.”

Well, Risdon is getting his wish.

On Monday, Sports Illustrated’s MMQB author Albert Breer wrote about why the Lions hiring of Holmes was “right along the lines of what they were looking for” and expanded on how the organization’s front office is changing to help him be successful.

The Lions were looking for a GM with a scouting background and Holmes’ 16 years of experience in this area — the last eight as the Rams director of college scouting — fit the bill to a tee.

“Detroit liked hearing from Holmes about how the Rams do things differently,” Breer wrote, “mixing analytics and an intellectual way of looking at players with traditional scouting, while seeing that he’d change some things too.”

One of the changes the Lions wanted to put in place was to allow Holmes to stay focused on what he is good at — scouting.

“In order to get the GM job (Holmes) closer to a true scouting job, the Lions are putting VP Mike Disner in charge of much of the football-operations end of things, which means Holmes won’t have to worry about managing areas like travel, nutrition, training and equipment.”

Disner, a Bloomfield Hills native, has 12 years of NFL front office experience and is considered one of the “rising stars” who is “shaping the direction of the NFL”. He was hired by the Lions in 2018, after six years as the Cardinals capologist, and was tasked with heading up the player contract negotiations and handling the Lions salary cap. He was also a member of the Lions search team that helped identify Holmes and Campbell.

Per Breer’s report, “Disner, Holmes and the new coach (presumably, Saints assistant Dan Campbell) will all report to Lions president Rod Wood”. Keep in mind, this is also an area where Chris Spielman, who was hired as a “Special Assistant to Chairman and President & CEO”, can best make an impact on the organization — giving Wood a sounding board and advising him on the football side of the organization.

At his end of season press conference, Wood said: “What we’re looking for is people that can work together and be partners, and not one working for the other necessarily”.

Based on the way this new organizational structure is progressing, they’re doing exactly that.