Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell received some much-deserved respect in a recent NFL head coaches rankings.
Pro Football Network’s Brandon Austin ranks Campbell as the fifth-best head coach in the NFL, only behind Philadelphia Eagles’ Nick Sirianni, Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh, Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay, and Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid.
“Dan Campbell has completely reshaped the Detroit Lions’ identity. In just a few seasons, he’s taken a franchise long defined as bottom-dwellers and turned it into a legitimate contender. Campbell’s next chapter may be his most difficult yet, as he watched both his offensive and defensive coordinators leave for head coaching jobs, including one to the division rival Chicago Bears. He’s turned the Lions into winners, but now he has to ensure they stay there and get over the hump,” Austin wrote.
Campbell was hired by Detroit as head coach in 2021, and though it got off to a rocky start, the team has been one of the league’s elite over the last few years.
The Lions have posted three consecutive winning seasons, including a 12-win season in 2023 and a 15-win season with the No.1 seed in 2024. However, Detroit hasn’t been able to reach the Super Bowl yet, which is the next step.
Though the Lions fell short in the playoffs last year, losing to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round, the franchise is in a position to compete for championships for years to come, and Campbell is one of the primary reasons why.
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