The Detroit Lions have seen a major resurgence over the past two seasons under head coach Dan Campbell, yet he's routinely been underrated in head coach rankings from experts.
But that is not the case when it comes to the head coach rankings of ESPN analyst Mina Kimes, who placed Campbell at No. 7 on her list on a recent episode of her podcast, "The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny".
Ahead of Campbell from No. 1 to No. 6 are Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers, John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens, Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers (h/t Morgan Cannon, Pride of Detroit).
“I love Dan Campbell. I love the way he talks about football, I love his aggression," Kimes said. "During the season there was the infamous ‘didn’t report’ incident. I loved that he was entirely unapologetic about it. I loved that he said, ‘This is our identity. We’ve stuck to it. We’re not deviating.’
"He, to me, is the definition of culture in every sense, and not just the soft stuff, but also in approaches to how he manages games.”
It's tough to put Campbell ahead of the five head coaches who have either won a Super Bowl or been to one, so that spot is right on the money.
After a 3-13 season in 2021, the Lions have gone a combined 21-13 since, including a 2023 campaign that saw Detroit go 12-5, win the division and make it all the way to the NFC Championship Game where they took a lead into halftime.
But Campbell's success isn't just about wins and losses. He's completely changed the culture of the franchise and gotten his players to buy in.
If the Lions can deliver on their legit Super Bowl hopes in 2024, Campbell will be moving up the list of the best head coaches in the NFL.
