The Lions entered the 2021 NFL offseason having rotated through 10 head coaches over the past 20 years.
Only two Detroit coaches had winning records during that time. They were Jim Caldwell, who posted a 36-28 record from 2014-17, and Gary Moeller — who had a 4-3 record as an interim coach in 2000.
The Lions were hoping to buck their recent trend of hiring losing coaches when they brought Dan Campbell into the fold.
He has exceeded expectations through three years with the franchise.
Campbell's overall record isn't overly impressive, but in three seasons, he has turned the Lions from an NFL laughingstock to one of its top contenders. He brought them close to a Super Bowl berth during the 2024 postseason, and he will hope to mount a similarly strong playoff run during the 2025 playoffs.
How has Campbell turned the Lions into a contender? He has managed the roster with great aplomb and has instilled a hard-working culture in Detroit's locker room. That has led him to win consistently over the past couple of seasons.
Here's what to know about Campbell's coaching history as he gets ready for his fourth season in charge of the Lions.
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Dan Campbell coaching history
Campbell is entering his fourth season in charge of the Lions, and his fifth season as an NFL coach overall. That is one of two head coaching gigs he has held in the NFL, though one came on an interim basis.
Campbell spent most of the 2015 season as the Dolphins' interim head coach. He replaced Joe Philbin four weeks into the season and led Miami to a 5-7 record in 12 contests.
The Dolphins considered installing Campbell as the team's full-time head coach, but Miami ultimately hired Adam Gase. Meanwhile, Campbell went to work for the Saints, spending five seasons working under Sean Payton as an assistant head coach and tight ends coach.
From there, Campbell caught the eye of the Lions. He was brought aboard to lead Detroit and has since delivered high-quality results in three seasons with the team.
Below is a full look at Campbell's coaching career, which dates back to the 2010 NFL season.
| Year(s) | Team | Position(s) |
| 2010 | Dolphins | Coaching intern |
| 2011-15 | Dolphins | Tight ends coach |
| 2015 | Dolphins | Interim head coach |
| 2016-20 | Saints | Assistant head coach/tight ends coach |
| 2021-present | Lions | Head coach |
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Dan Campbell coaching record
Campbell has a career regular-season coaching record of just 29-33-1. That said, he has posted a winning record in two of his three seasons as a full-time head coach; his overall record is simply dragged down by the 3-13-1 mark the Lions posted in his first year running the team.
Impressively, Campbell has a 2-1 playoff record in one appearance. He led the Lions to the NFC championship game in 2024 and they came close to knocking off the 49ers in that contest. Detroit ended up blowing a 17-point lead, but it was still a tightly contested loss.
Here's a look at Campbell's full coaching history, including his stint as Miami's interim head coach.
| Years | Team | Record | Playoff record |
| 2015 | Dolphins | 5-7 | — |
| 2021 | Lions | 3-13-1 | — |
| 2022 | Lions | 9-8 | — |
| 2023 | Lions | 12-5 | 2-1 |
| Total | Dolphins/Lions | 29-33-1 | 2-1 |
Campbell has posted a record of 21-13 over his two most recent seasons with the Lions. That's more regular-season wins in a two-year span by any coach in Lions history.
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How Dan Campbell turned Lions into a winner
Campbell has worked in tandem with general manager Brad Holmes, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to create one of the best-rounded teams in the NFL.
Holmes focused on acquiring talent around which the Lions could build. He, Campbell, and Johnson were also the key cogs in trading Matthew Stafford for a package involving Jared Goff and several draft picks.
Campbell and Johnson worked to build up Goff's confidence and help him regain the form that had once made him look like a promising, young NFL starter. The team remained steadfast that he was their guy, and the coaching staff's work developing Goff paid off amid Detroit's run to the NFC championship game.
Campbell's messaging about turning the Lions into a tough, blue-collar group of "kneecap biters" seemed to resonate with the team. Even as Detroit stumbled in his early days as head coach, he continued to stick to his principles of aggressive coaching to instill confidence in his players.
"I’ll tell you what I thought," Campbell once said of his thoughts during Detroit's 4-19-1 record in his first 24 games, per Peter King. "'Our time’s coming.' And 'everybody can have their last laugh.' I can’t tell you the number of times, sitting in that locker room, looking at those guys, they’re all taped up, they’re iced up, they’re beat up. We just lost another tough game.
"I remember saying to the guys, 'One day we’ll be f—ing laughing at everybody else. Our time is coming. We got an opportunity here.'"
Campbell capitalized on part of that by helping the Lions earn their first playoff wins since the 1991 postseason. Now, he hopes to continue building that winning culture by leading Detroit to its first-ever Super Bowl appearance.
MORE: How much money is Dan Campbell making in 2024?
Which teams did Dan Campbell play for?
Campbell isn't just a high-quality head coach. He also enjoyed a decade-long NFL career after being a third-round pick out of Texas A&M in the 1999 NFL Draft.
Campbell played for four teams while largely serving as a quality blocking tight end. They are as follows:
- New York Giants (1999-2002)
- Dallas Cowboys (2003-05)
- Detroit Lions (2006-08)
- New Orleans Saints (2009)
Campbell posted 91 catches for 934 yards and 11 touchdowns during his career. He also established himself as a key team leader.
That has clearly helped him in his quest to connect with NFL players as he has established himself as one of the NFL's top head coaches.