OT: The Lions may have hired Dan Campbell as HC
Snowflake warning: this is from Yahoo sports, and seems to be the only service confirming the news, so far. But it looks like the Saints TE coach for the last 5 years will be the Lions new head coach. He'll pair up with the Rams Director of College Scouting (Brad Holmes). If this is true, the Lions will cement their dominance of the NFL's Junior Varsity division...
January 17th, 2021 at 8:07 AM ^
Let's all pray for these guys because they are entering a black hole for coaches.
January 17th, 2021 at 9:03 AM ^
This is the truth, the Lie-downs under Ford ownership are a guarantee to ruin his career, thoughts and prayers ??.
Considering that the NFL is designed for parity, and eventually every team through dumb luck or randomness, if nothing else, finds a way to win and be successful in the playoffs with even questionable QB talent or flash in the pans.
However, the Lie-downs against all odds have cracked the code and have been able to SUCCESSFULLY cling to the bottom of the NFL for the 63 glorious years of Ford ownership is just a testament to their managerial prowess!
January 17th, 2021 at 4:11 PM ^
The NFL is designed for parity and yet, the Lions still cannot do shit.
January 17th, 2021 at 6:03 PM ^
You do need to go out of your way to be so bad for so long.
January 17th, 2021 at 8:13 AM ^
So does Bieniemy cut farts and play on his phone during interviews?
I do not get it. The guy is strongly recommended by everyone who's worked with him and yet no team wants to give him a HC job.
And yes, I know his history has some issues. But they're definitely not recent and by all accounts the dude has changed.
So why NFL? Why do TE coaches with no tangible experience get a shot while Eric waits?
Again.
January 17th, 2021 at 8:16 AM ^
After interviewing with almost half the league in the last couple years there has to be a reason but I too would like to know what it is
January 17th, 2021 at 8:26 AM ^
I'm not saying this would justify not hiring him by itself, but some people are just really bad in certain kinds of interview situations.
January 17th, 2021 at 8:21 AM ^
Here's a story that explains Bieniemy's 'problems', of which not a peep since 2001. It is complete bullshit that he sits unemployed as a head coach while a friggen position coach gets the top position. A Dan Campbell hire sounds like a worse repeat of Rod Marinelli. At least he had a decades long track record of outstanding positional coaching!
January 17th, 2021 at 8:23 AM ^
John Harbaugh would like a word. A ST coordinator was probably thought of the same way at the time.
January 17th, 2021 at 8:27 AM ^
The coordinator of special teams is coordinating the entire teams schemes, actions, and personnel for kickoffs, punts, KO returns, and punt returns. The position coach is coaching a position that has players within those units. The ST Coord is certainly a step below OC and DC, but is above your basic position coach.
Edit: And field goals!
January 17th, 2021 at 12:44 PM ^
That's missing the point of the STC's background. John Harbaugh had no professional interest in a given scheme on either side of the ball. He evaluates the team's talent & coaches with a more dispassionate eye because he's not wedded to specific play concepts. It's the key to his long-term success. Hiring Greg Roman for Lamar Jackson is an example.
And he's managed to let coaches go when their usefulness wanes. Greg Mattison found a nice landing spot here; its more than likely John Harbaugh would have handed him his walking papers.
Jim Caldwell was *definitely* days away from getting canned in Baltimore. The Lions scooped him up before that could happen, probably because it would look worse if they hired a guy who'd just been fired from a position lower than the one they wanted him for.
And given what happened after Caldwell was let go, it wasn't really that bad of a hire.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:01 PM ^
In retrospect Caldwell strikes me as the dollar store version of Andy Reid: a guy who's good at most of what a head coach in the NFL needs to do but who isn't all that great at the most visible parts.
Not to say he was fantastic, and I think Caldwell blew some winnable games with questionable decisions. At the same time, he had the Lions in position to win those games. Although Reid's teams in Philly and KC were generally much better than the Lions, Reid's poor clock management and poor fourth-down decision making always cost his team winnable games.
Regardless, the Lions would have been a lot better off with Caldwell over the last three years than Matt Fucking Patricia.
January 18th, 2021 at 10:10 PM ^
Caldwell was no in-game genius, that's for sure. But the beat writers were pretty consistent; the guy treated his players like men and they respected him for it. His assistants were not to yell at players like they were college kids. Outside of Eric "Gaffe-A-Week" Ebron it was a united locker room. And Ebron has been a knucklehead at subsequent stops. Especially Pittsburgh.
Well, there was the problem of the OL coach Ron Prince. Larry Warford left the minute his rookie contract was up because he couldn't stand to be in the same room with Prince. Was so bad that when Caldwell was let go, only he and Prince had to leave the building. The other assistants were given ample opportunity to stick around, polish up resumes and such and even interview under Patricia.
Caldwell's respect & reasonable record made things a lot harder for Patricia.
January 17th, 2021 at 8:49 AM ^
Thanks, I wondered what the “issues” were. Seem pretty minor to me, and pretty ancient. Hard to imagine those are the explanation for why he has not gotten a shot at a HC position. Makes you wonder if there is unreported detail on some of the stuff, or he is a crappy interviewer, or he doesn’t come across as able to operate as a CEO or what.
January 17th, 2021 at 9:04 AM ^
Sort of minor. But in this time of metoo if there’s any chance someone could bring up some more allegations it’s gonna be hard to hire the guy. He’s gonna have to be 100% honest and if there’s an incident perhaps not reported yet he won’t get hired. If he’s not honest and they uncover something questionable he’s not gonna get hired either.
January 17th, 2021 at 10:27 AM ^
I would love (by love I really mean loathe) to see the article the Freep would write on him if he were to be hired.
On a somewhat related note, a bit of karma yesterday when Marlowe Alter of the freep wrote an article ripping Campbell for saying a homophobic slur 30 years ago in college, while his own twitter feed was full of racist and homophobic remarks.
January 17th, 2021 at 11:20 AM ^
The reporter’s feed is full of racist and homophobic remarks? That’s a big accusation. Perhaps you should offer evidence before just throwing that out there.
January 17th, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
Yeah I’d say this guy is trash.
January 17th, 2021 at 12:35 PM ^
Haa, Bru!! Dude brought receipts!!
January 17th, 2021 at 3:03 PM ^
No clue either unless there is some non-public info that is floating around NFL circles about Bienemy that is making clubs walk away from hiring him. And maybe they ask him to explain it in the interview and its not good.
I can’t really think of any real reasons why he is getting interviews still but no jobs. It’s one thing if he wasn’t getting interviews but he is. It’s perplexing.
January 17th, 2021 at 10:43 AM ^
People have mentioned his past issues with alcohol, drunk driving, and the sexual assaults at Colorado, but given the types of guys currently getting jobs in the NFL that doesn't feel like it would be disqualifying for most teams (hell, Patricia was credibly accused of sexual assault when hired and nothing came of it). I have to assume at this point he doesn't interview well for some reason because he's been interviewed by a ton of teams and they've all passed. And while the Rooney rule is somewhat of a joke in how much lip service the league gives toward it, there has been an uptick in POC being hired for coaching positions recently. You would assume that teams are receptive to hiring him.
January 17th, 2021 at 10:54 AM ^
Maybe NFL teams saw how the Lions were crucified for hiring a guy that had never been convicted of a crime and are going to pause at someone that has been arrested three times (convicted of crimes at least twice by my research), let alone the fact he was on the Colorado staff during the rape/sexual assault scandal in the early 2000’s.
Fair or not, there’s a different moral standard for head coaches and Quarterbacks it seems.
January 17th, 2021 at 2:40 PM ^
The Lions got crucified a bit publicly but I don't think most people really remember Patricia was credibly accused as much as they remember the constant losing, his absolutely horrible inter-personal skills, and his overall dickishness. He also apparently never thought it was relevant to bring up during his interviews with the Pats and the Lions, despite the apparent ease by which a reporter could find it.
Personally, I knew Bienemy as the guy who was involved in the Vance Jospeh-led awfulness at Colorado and faintly remembered he had some drinking issues in college. His DUI in 2001 was news to me but sort of highlights perhaps lingering issues. He also apparently bullied a former CU player to the point that the NCAA granted the guy an immediate waiver.
Honestly, I'd be fine if most of these guys didn't get head coaching jobs; it's not a birthright and sometimes you're at your best spot/position in life with some oversight and support; being an HC is incredibly stressful and having less pressure as an OC with an established HC like Reid may well be what's best for Beinemy right now. I assume at some point he'll get an HC shot, but while racism likely plays a part in the ongoing dearth of POC at HC spots this might be a case where the individual plays a keep part in him being passed over.
January 17th, 2021 at 11:04 AM ^
January 17th, 2021 at 11:27 AM ^
The only thing that makes sense on that front is that teams looking for new coaches want to hire guys who can start/become official now rather than after their respective seasons end. Which does not absolve the Lions as Campbell is still with the Saints because they are still playing. Once again proving the Lions do not know what they are doing.
January 17th, 2021 at 1:52 PM ^
I think it's this. The last two cycles, the Chiefs have been deep in the playoffs. Most teams prefer not to wait.
Well, except the Lions, who waited for Patricia and are now doing the same for Campbell, and, well, this kind of proves the folly of waiting.
January 17th, 2021 at 11:32 AM ^
Maybe hes slated to take over in KC?
January 17th, 2021 at 12:58 PM ^
From my understanding, he doesn’t call the plays. I’m not sure how much that have to do with anything, but I’m sure it doesn’t help his candidacy. I don’t think the NFL or any teams out there really care about his past issues, otherwise guys like Josh Gordon would not keep getting seventh chances.
He must just be a terrible interviewer or do/say things during the interviewing process that are just off putting.
January 17th, 2021 at 2:19 PM ^
I favored EB as well, but Chris Spielman and Barry Sanders had input into the decision so I am OK with it.
January 17th, 2021 at 8:15 AM ^
Yahoo is probably wrong as I believe they are not allowed to hire him until the saints are out of the playoffs
January 17th, 2021 at 11:27 AM ^
You say Yahoo is probably wrong and I highly doubt you read the articke. In the first paragraph the article says "Lions were set to hire Campbell once he becomes available."
Ready, Fire, Aim!
January 17th, 2021 at 8:18 AM ^
I'll admit I don't follow the NFL closely these days, but is this Campbell guy somebody who knowledgeable NFL observers were touting as a can't-miss HC candidate? It's not a name I recall being bandied about during the past month or so.
January 17th, 2021 at 8:46 AM ^
It is the same guy. He was a hot name a few years ago. I think even for the Lions job before Patricia. Then his prospects seemed to cool. Who knows.
January 17th, 2021 at 1:19 PM ^
He was never a "can't miss" candidate, but he was a top candidate for a couple of jobs in the past few years. Apparently the Packers strongly considered him before going with LaFleur. Typically the "can't miss" coach prospects are the young genius Xs and Os guys, Campbell is not that at all, he is a fiery leader who players will like and respect but he will need to rely on his OC and DC big time.
January 17th, 2021 at 8:51 AM ^
Campbell, eh?
So...at least the Lions may be getting a Soupman.
I’ll see myself out.
January 17th, 2021 at 9:11 AM ^
The only possible positive thing i had found when this was first discussed as a possibility earlier this week is that he was an interim HC for Miami and went 5-7 after starting 1-4 under Philbin. After that, in 2018, the colts and a few other teams had him high on their interview list for possible head coach then. The concensus was that in 2018, he was probably still 2 years away from being a head coach.
He is also, currently, the assistant head coach for the saints.
January 17th, 2021 at 9:33 AM ^
LOL. So the Loins had a HUGE head start in their GM and head coaching searches and the best they can come up with is the Rams Director of College Scouting and the Saints TE coach?? This has to be the most Same Old Lions thing ever. They would have been so much better off throwing a bunch of money at Jim Harbaugh. See you back on the coaching carousel in 3 years. So glad I stopped caring about this team many years ago.
January 17th, 2021 at 11:10 AM ^
On the surface that’s what it looks like but the fact that this has Chris Spielman’s hands all over it keeps me optimistic. We need a leader in the locker room that the players want to rally around. Both of these guys seem to fit that bill.....
January 17th, 2021 at 7:35 PM ^
Simple. There are always better jobs and those identified as top candidates go there. The predecessors leave with too any holes to fill. This repeats itself about every 3 years.
January 17th, 2021 at 10:02 AM ^
FWIW, when the Titans promoted Arthur Smith to OC in 2019 after LaFleur left to go to the Packers, I thought it was gonna suck. All he did was give the Titans the 2 best offensive years I can remember and is now the head coach of the Falcons.
Maybe the Lions are on to something. I know, it’s the Lions, but often the uninspired coach hired turn out great.
Not holding my breath, but we will see.
January 17th, 2021 at 10:31 AM ^
Are these hires heavily influenced by Chris Spielman? The Campbell lean sounds like it because they both are rah rah neck roll type of guys. I’m thinking the “group” sees Campbell as Vrabel II. Hope it works out better than Patricia becoming Belichick, Jr.
January 17th, 2021 at 10:39 AM ^
If the Lions dump Stafford, it really doesn't matter who the coach is as they will be bad. Supposedly some potential coaches were scared off by the uncertainty there.
Campbell is also well respected in the locker room, and given how crappy Patricia treated his players, this will be a welcome change.
January 17th, 2021 at 2:26 PM ^
NFL teams tend to hire the next guy to be the opposite of the last guy in terms of player’s coaches vs Belichick or analytical vs rah rah. Fixing the last guy’s issues instead of making a full evaluation of total requirements.
January 17th, 2021 at 11:26 AM ^
If true, not really a surprise here. The Lions job is unattractive, as it is clear a rebuild is coming. Holding onto Stafford only delays that. Established GMs / HCs aren't going to come here to deal with a rebuild and be fired in three years.
In any case, it doesn't really matter. Start the rebuild. Not that that will really work either, but still....
January 17th, 2021 at 12:22 PM ^
I feel you, but at the same time I can’t help but laugh at the lions “rebuilding” as if they achieved anything over the past few years. Then I cry.
January 17th, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
With all due respect to Dan Campbell, this is a terrible hire and runs counter to Sheila's statement at the start of the process about hiring a proven candidate.
Holmes is defensible as the GM, because by all accounts he's analytics-based and has succeeded in the draft's lower rounds. But pairing him with a first time coach with zero coordinator experience is just giving up.
We'll get a lot of bullshit tough guy press conferences and lose a lot of games. They may as well trade Stafford now, because there's little reason to invest your fandom in a pair even more inexperienced than QuinnTricia as they bumble their way to double digit losses the next three years.
Fuck them Loins.
January 17th, 2021 at 2:45 PM ^
I have hope in Holmes.
I have no hope for Campbell. That dude is a meathead.
January 17th, 2021 at 12:58 PM ^
I would prefer my favorite Sparty of all time, Bruce Campbell, as a HC. That would be fun.