Tag: Shelia Ford Hamp

Shelia Ford Hamp, Rod Wood release statements on Detroit Lions’ coach Dan Campbell

The Detroit Lions have Dan Campbell as their new head coach and owner Shelia Ford Hamp and team president Rod Wood have released statements.

The Detroit Lions have officially Dan Campbell as their new head coach and principal owner Shelia Ford Hamp and team president Rod Wood have released statements on the move.

Like with their statements following the hiring of general manager Brad Holmes, both offer glowing reviews of Campbell and have high hopes for what he can accomplish in Detroit.

Shelia Ford Hamp

“This is an exciting day for our organization as we introduce Dan Campbell as the new head coach of the Detroit Lions. With more than 20 years of experience as both a coach and player in the National Football League, Dan knows the rigors of professional football and what it takes to be successful. He will help promote the culture we want to establish across our organization, while also bringing with him high energy, a respect for the game and an identity with which everyone can align themselves.”

Rod Wood

“Dan’s passion for this opportunity was evident throughout our interview process. When we began the search for a head coach, it was imperative that we find the right leader who values our commitment to building a winning culture based on organizational alignment and collaboration. The leadership Dan has exemplified throughout his football career has prepared him for this next step, and we are excited to support him as our new head coach.”

Shelia Ford Hamp, Rod Wood release statements on new Lions GM Brad Holmes

Detroit Lions owner Shelia Ford Hamp and team president Rod Wood have released statements on new general manager Brad Holmes.

Early Wednesday afternoon, the Detroit Lions agreed to a five-year deal with Brad Holmes (former Rams’ director of college scouting) to be their new general manager.

A few hours later, the Lions confirmed the hire, along with statements from principal owner Shelia Ford Hamp and team president Rod Wood. Additionally, Rams general manager Les Snead also released a statement on Holmes.

Shelia Ford Hamp

“On behalf of the entire Lions organization, I am thrilled to welcome Brad Holmes to Detroit. Several weeks ago when we embarked on this process, it was critical that we find the right person to fit our vision for this team. It was evident early on that Brad is a proven leader who is ready for this opportunity. We are thrilled to introduce him to our fans as a member of our football family.”

Rod Wood

“Throughout our search for a new general manager, Brad was someone who stood out immediately. His abilities as a critical thinker, along with his extensive experience implementing technology and analytics into his approach to scouting, were among the many decisive qualities Brad displayed in our time getting to know him during the interview process. We look forward to him helping lead our organization as we take the next steps as a team.”

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Rams’ GM Les Snead

Lions have fired coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn

Detroit Lions have fired coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn

The Detroit Lions announced that they have fired coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn. Patricia was the Lions coach of just under three seasons and had a 13-29-1 record.

Quinn was hired in 2016 after Ernie Accorsi was tasked by the Ford family to execute a search for the ideal person to run their organization. Accorsi recommended Quinn and he was hired in January.

Quinn inherited a coach with a winning record in Jim Caldwell, who took the Lions to the playoffs in their first year together, unfortunately losing to the Seattle Seahawks. In year two, Caldwell finished 9-7 yet again, but missed the playoffs and was let go that offseason.

After the 2018 Super Bowl, Quinn was swift in hiring his longtime friend in Patricia and it took him two years before he was able to reach nine wins.

This is the first big move new principal owner Shelia Ford Hamp has made since she took over a controlling role. And her second was elevating offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to interim coach.

It’s too early to tell who will take over for Quinn, but Jimmy Raye III has been a long time GM in waiting and he could get the nod.

Hamp is expected to meet with the media later today.

ESPN details Shelia Ford Hamp’s history and how it could influence her leadership of the Lions franchise

ESPN’s Mike Rothstein profiled Detroit Lions principal owner Shelia Ford Hamp’s lifetime of unique experiences and examined how her approach to problem-solving could impact her leadership of the franchise.

ESPN’s Mike Rothstein profiled Detroit Lions principal owner Shelia Ford Hamp’s lifetime of unique experiences and examined how her approach to problem-solving could impact her leadership of the franchise.

Rothstein spent the first part of his piece discussing how Hamp’s experiences as one of the first female athletes at Yale influenced her views on equality and diversity. He would go on to detail how through her campus activism she met and befriended Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and documentarian Henry Louis Gates Jr.

When she took over principal ownership of the Lions from her mother Martha Firestone Ford, Hamp reached out to Gates Jr., for assistance in approaching the growing social justice activism movement in the NFL. She would go on to distribute Gates Jr.’s book “Stony The Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and The Rise of Jim Crow” to everyone in the Lions’ organization and asked him to speak to the players via a question and answer style lecture.

Rothstein would go on to highlight several of Hamp’s other life experiences and problem-solving successes. When the board of the Henry Ford Museum identified Harold Skramstad as the person they hoped to be their new director, it was Hamp who tracked him down and convinced him to take the position.

In another example, Rothstein shares Hamp’s work with actor Jeff Daniels’ The Purple Rose Theatre and how her involvement in redeveloping their board helped “turn a small operation into a modern nonprofit”.

“Sheila gets things done,” Daniels said in a statement to ESPN. “When she commits, they get all that she can do. My theatre company is better because of Sheila and Steve’s (Hamp’s) leadership. “The Lions will be as well.”

Rothstein does a terrific job of detailing Hamp’s life experiences and it’s definitely worth taking the time to read.

Watch: Dan Miller interviews Lions’ President Rod Wood

The “Voice of the Lions” Dan Miller interviews Detroit Lions’ President Rod Wood following Shelia Ford Hamp’s elevation to principal owner.

Recently, the “Voice of the Lions” Dan Miller interviewed Detroit Lions’ President Rod Wood following Shelia Ford Hamp’s elevation to principal owner, discussing a variety of topics.

The interview begins like most in today’s climate, with a focus around how Wood’s job has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We left (Allen Park) thinking we’d be gone for a couple of weeks and everything would get back to normal,” Wood said, “and now here we are almost the end of June, and everybody’s (still) working from home.”

Miller then pivoted the conversation towards what type of legacy Martha Firestone Ford was leaving behind.

“(She) became widely respected within the league,” Wood said. “And admired. And I don’t know that ever heard anybody, including Roger Goodell (NFL Comminishiner), call her anything other than Mrs. Ford — and that shows the level of respect that she had.”

Once the conversation shifted towards Shelia Ford Hamp, Wood discussed her (and the rest of the Ford families) desire to win, Hamp’s ability to gain experience working side-by-side with her mother, and creating her own mark as a leader.

Other topics discussed include the organization’s technological support team, how technology can help the team in the future, coaching/team leadership, the team bonding via social justice discussions and pandemic related situations, as well as how Wood’s job has changed in 2020, and how Allen Park is being prepped for football in the fall.

You can watch the entire 26-minute video of Wood’s interview below (courtesy of the Lions’ YouTube page):