Who Could Dan Campbell Bring To Detroit As Offensive Coordinator?
Campbell, a bit of an under-the-radar hire, has his defensive coordinator in Aaron Glenn. Now, the attention shifts to the offensive side of the ball.
The Detroit Lions have announced the hiring of New Orleans Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell as the team’s next head coach. Campbell was one of two finalists for the job, along with former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. However, the latter made it easy on the Lions’ brass when he accepted the head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons. Campbell could have officially been hired on Monday, but he has decided to finish his exit interviews with the Saints, according to NFL Network. This news came after the team hired Brad Holmes, the now-former director of college scouting for the Los Angeles Rams, as their new general manager.
Campbell has experience as an NFL head coach, albeit very little experience. Campbell, who was originally serving as the team’s tight ends coach, was named the interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015 after the team fired Joe Philbin. Campbell’s Dolphins went 5–7 under his auspices, and the team finished 6–10 overall. Compare this to the Lions’ former head coach, Matt Patricia, who had exactly zero games experience as an NFL head coach before landing the job in Detroit. Another thing Campbell has over Patricia is a previous tie to the organization: Campbell was a player for the Lions from 2006–2008, including the Lions’ infamous 0–16 season.
However, one thing Patricia has over Campbell is experience in the more high-level coaching positions. After the 2015 season, the Dolphins elected not to rehire Campbell as head coach. Instead, they brought in then-Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase. Campbell left to take the position as assistant head coach/tight ends coach under Sean Payton in New Orleans in January 2016. This means that besides the 12 games he spent as an interim head coach, Campbell’s highest-level coaching job is the job he is expected to leave. This adds another level of importance to the staff Campbell is expected to bring in around him.
As I was writing this, Ian Rapoport broke the news that Campbell was bringing Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn with him as his new defensive coordinator. So, first I’ll talk about Glenn, then move on to talk about a few candidates the team could look at for the offensive coordinator position.
Defensive Coordinator: Aaron Glenn, New Orleans Saints DBs coach
Glenn, a three-time Pro Bowler during his playing days, has the Saints connection with Campbell. He became a scout with the New York Jets in 2012 and became a defensive assistant with the Cleveland Browns in 2014. Two years later, Glenn landed the job as defensive backs coach in New Orleans.
As I am sure any football fan can attest, being successful as a player doesn’t always translate to the coaching world. However, I recently saw a quote in this article from Pride of Detroit that really intrigues me. The quote is from Dan Pompei of The Athletic:
Glenn wants to know everything he can about the game. He sits in on the Saints’ special teams meetings just to learn. Glenn frequently questions college coaches such as Florida Atlantic defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt about the game’s progression at that level. During his downtime, he researches trends. Last offseason, he looked at why passing yards and points were increasing. He recently did a study on how Belichick’s defensive philosophy was evolving.
It is interesting how Glenn constantly wants to learn the game, and seems to be willing to evolve his coaching philosophy to match the natural evolution of the league. And his impact on the Saints secondary has been felt. In 2020, the Saints finished fifth in yards allowed per game, sixth in yards allowed per pass play, fourth in interception percentage, and second in completion percentage allowed. The development of cornerback Marshon Lattimore is also a point in favor of Glenn. Lattimore was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft and has blossomed into a three-time Pro Bowler.
Glenn’s work with DBs would also be beneficial for the Lions in the case of last year’s first-round pick, Jeff Okudah. Okudah came out of Ohio State with a ton of praise and oozing of potential, but he had a less than desirable rookie season. Personally, I chalk this up to Patricia and his last defensive coordinator Cory Undlin. I think Glenn could right the ship of not only Okudah but also the entire Lions’ defensive philosophy.
This hire is a home run for Campbell and the Lions. Glenn had interest around the league for other DC openings and even interviewed for the Jets head coaching job. The connection between Campbell and his new DC ran deeper than just the Saints, which probably played a hand in this. Both Glenn and Campbell are products of Texas A&M and have played for Bill Parcells. Glenn could have gone to a team with a better defense but chose to follow Campbell, which is huge for the Lions.
Now, let’s move on to offensive coordinator targets. I have three guys that I think the Lions should look into. Also, these targets are numbered, but there isn’t any true order of preference. So OC Target #1 isn’t my #1 preference, etc, etc.
OC Target #1: Pep Hamilton, Los Angeles Chargers quarterbacks coach
Hamilton has bounced around in recent years but has received interest for some offensive coordinator openings. Most recently, he interviewed with the Miami Dolphins for their OC opening, and currently remains the only identified candidate for that opening that hasn’t either taken another job or turned down an interview request. There were also reports that Hamilton is under consideration for the Seattle Seahawks OC opening, but they haven’t interviewed him just yet.
Hamilton is an interesting name because he has experience as an offensive coordinator before, both in college and in the NFL. He was the OC at Stanford in 2011 and 2012, working with future #1 pick Andrew Luck. He then moved to the Indianapolis Colts in 2013, reuniting with Luck and helping with his development. Hamilton was the QB coach for the Browns in 2016, the passing game coordinator for Michigan in 2017–2018, and then got a shot as a head coach in the XFL with the LA Wildcats in 2020, but that was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hamilton then was hired by the Chargers and was vital in the development of first-round pick Justin Herbert. The Oregon product threw for 4336 yards and 31 TDs (a rookie record) to 10 picks under Hamilton’s auspices in his rookie campaign.
If the Lions choose to go with a young QB either this season or next, Hamilton would be a very good hire in terms of development. With prior experience as a play-caller, this hire won’t see a learning curve. He may also be available as it isn’t entirely clear if Hamilton will be retained by new head coach Brandon Staley. The Lions should do their due diligence and speak with Hamilton at the very least.
OC Target #2: Anthony Lynn, former Los Angeles Chargers head coach
Lynn is a name I feel some Lions fans might cringe at, but hear me out. He is a name in demand, as he has “spoken” with the Seahawks for their OC opening. Unlike Hamilton, Campbell has a connection with Lynn. Campbell played for Lynn for one season in 2005 when Lynn was the running backs coach with the Dallas Cowboys. Before taking the permanent gig with the Chargers, Lynn had been receiving head coaching interest for years. He was interviewed by the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins for their openings in 2015 and was a candidate for the San Francisco 49ers opening in 2016, but he pulled his name from consideration before the team made a decision.
Lynn as a play-caller is at his best with a good run game, and the Lions are starting to build something decent in that regard. D’Andre Swift had 521 yards on 114 carries in 2020 and looks like he could be the back of the future in Detroit. The Lions’ offensive line is also developing, with Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow being the standouts, the latter being named to the All-Pro second team in 2020. And a good run game compliments a good air attack, and if Matthew Stafford is retained and can stay healthy in 2021, the Lions could have such an attack.
Ultimately, this one also depends on if Campbell can convince his former coach to follow him. It could be tough, but I think it’s worth exploring.
OC Target #3: Jeff Nixon, Carolina Panthers running backs coach
Nixon was Campbell’s running backs coach when Campbell was the interim HC in Miami. Nixon also has experience as an offensive coordinator, or at least as a co-offensive coordinator, holding the position under Matt Rhule at Baylor from 2017–2019. He followed Rhule to the Panthers when Rhule was hired as their head coach and has worked closely with their offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Nixon’s offenses at Baylor ranked among the top 25 in the nation as well.
Nixon has served primarily as a running backs coach in the NFL and worked with former Lions running back Reggie Bush when the two were with the Dolphins. Bush rushed for a career-high 1086 yards and six touchdowns in 2011 under Nixon’s auspices. Bush nearly put together back-to-back 1000 yard seasons. In 2014, Nixon coached Lamar Miller to a career-high 1099 yards and eight touchdowns, and that year, the Dolphins had the second-highest average yards per carry in the league.
The Lions may be inclined to bring in a guy who’s focused a lot on running backs, with D’Andre Swift looking like their potential back of the future. Unlike Lynn and Hamilton, however, Nixon hasn’t called plays in the NFL before. That is definitely something to bear in mind, but all in all, the Lions should do their due diligence here.
There we are. Did I miss anyone you wanted? Do you think the guys I posited are unworthy of consideration? I’d love to hear your thoughts, Lions fans!
Featured Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports
