As it turns out, the Lions zeroed in on another Campbell before settling on Dan.
CBS Sports reported Thursday former Toledo football coach and current Iowa State coach Matt Campbell turned down an eight-year, $68.5 million offer to become head coach of the Detroit Lions.
There were murmurs last winter about the Lions’ curiosity in Campbell, a former Bowling Green assistant. Those rumors now have credence.
When asked about Matt Campbell during Lions coach Dan Campbell’s introductory press conference, Lions president Ron Wood said: “I’m not going to comment on any college coaches. I think I’ve talked to a couple of you about that, out of respect for their current position and recruiting. I’m not going to say whether we interviewed a college coach or whether we didn’t or whether we extended an offer. I’ll just leave it at, no comment on any college coaches.”
Dan Campbell joked at the same press conference that he got the Lions job after telling his agent to make the franchise think he was Matt Campbell.
“Just in regards to the head coach search, how I ended up here, one of things would be that I told my agent, Rick Smith, I said make sure that they think I’m Matt Campbell, so I think that’s how this has really worked out great for me,” Dan Campbell said. “So now that I’m in the seat, I am Dan Campbell. But I do know this, you can’t go wrong with a Campbell.”
Matt Campbell reportedly turned down an interview with the New York Jets in December.
On Jan. 10, Matt Campbell tweeted that he was staying at Iowa State.
"So grateful for the commitment of so many to continue to want to build our program together," he wrote. "Our foundation has been built on Loyalty and Faithfulness and it will continue to be our guiding light. Humbled and Grateful to continue to lead to be different."
Dan Campbell was interviewed the next day, Jan. 11, and hired Jan. 20.
Matt Campbell then signed a contract extension with Iowa State through Dec. 31, 2028 on Feb. 8.
Matt Campbell is 35-28 in five seasons at Iowa State, one of the most difficult jobs in the country, and is coming off a Big 12 championship. The Cyclones enter the 2021 season as a College Football Playoff contender.
He was 35-15 overall at Toledo from 2011 to 2015.
Matt Campbell would’ve been the third former Toledo head coach to also land an NFL head coach position, joining Nick Saban and Clive Rush, who was head coach of the Boston Patriots from 1969 to 1970.
Four other former Toledo head coaches went on to serve as assistants in the NFL. Skip Stahley was the Chicago Cardinals’ backfield coach in 1953, Jack Morton with the Green Bay Packers in 1957 and 1958, and Bob Snyder with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1955 and 1956. Frank Lauterbur served as a position coach in the 1970s and 80s with the Baltimore Colts, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Seattle Seahawks.
First Published May 20, 2021, 2:58 p.m.
