Sometimes, all it takes is one person to turn an organization around. The Detroit Lions learned that when they made the (at the time) polarizing decision to appoint former NFL player Dan Campbell as their new head coach.
Campbell's Lions were too good early on, and some even mocked his emotionality and how much he hurt after every loss. Fast forward to today, and no one's laughing anymore. However, it looks like Coach Campbell still doesn't get the flowers he deserves.
In fact, some 'experts' don't even consider him among the cream of the crop. In CBS Sports' preseason head coach rankings, their panel of specialists didn't choose Campbell among the top-10 coaches in the league.
Dan Campbell's snub from top-10 HC list doesn't add up
Ever since taking the reins of the team, Campbell has compiled a 52–43–1 (.547) regular-season record and a 2-2 playoff record with the Lions. That's despite going 3-13 in his first season with the team, meaning he's gone 45-23 since. That includes a trip to the NFC Championship Game.
Of course, Campbell has had plenty of help along the way. The Matthew Stafford trade helped trigger a full-scale organizational rebuild, and he's also surrounded himself with some great assistant coaches.
He's made some mistakes when he's allowed his emotions and fearless competitive drive to get the best of him. Perhaps he shouldn't have been that aggressive at times, but you just can't say he's not a top-10 head coach in the game with that record and those accolades.
The mere fact that Ben Johnson, who used to be his offensive coordinator and has only had his own team, made the list at No. 7 shows that this list doesn't add up. Even Jim Harbaugh, who was out of the league for years, made the cut ahead of Dan Campbell.
People are sleeping on the Lions after missing the playoffs last season, but they seem to ignore the fact that they still went 9-8 and play in the toughest division in football. Fortunately, this will only fuel their fire.
The Lions will benefit from one of the easiest schedules in football next season. They have a new offensive coordinator who can help a fully healthy Sam LaPorta reach superstardom, and while there are still some doubts on defense, this team has everything they need to silence the doubters.
Dan Campbell deserves all of the praise in the world for turning an ever-struggling franchise into a contender. Regardless of how they fare on the field, he raised the standard and built winning habits throughout the building, and that's what great coaches do, regardless of the Xs and Os.
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