Back in 2019, the Cleveland Browns had the opportunity to hire Dan Campbell, then the tight-ends coach for the New Orleans Saints, as their next head coach. The organization reportedly loved his interview and fire. Yet, according to reports, owner Jimmy Haslam passed on Campbell because of his commitment to building a tough, run-first team.
Dan Campbell Browns passed Detroit Lions
Campbell told interviewers he wanted to lead a “tough team and run the ball,” and that frankness appears to have cost him the job.
“It was awesome. I mean it was awesome,” a source told Tyler Dunne of GoLong. “But Dan said, ‘I want to have a tough team and run the ball.’ … Jimmy was so much, I don’t want to say brainwashed, but under the influence of what the analytics say and how passing is so much more important than running, it was almost like he dismissed him after that statement.”
While Cleveland passed, Detroit seized its chance, and the Lions organization has never looked back.
Detroit’s Gain, Cleveland’s Loss
From Detroit’s perspective, this turned into one of the best ‘what-if’ moments in franchise history. Campbell’s arrival in Detroit ushered in a culture of accountability, physicality, and no-excuse football. As the Lions build toward December and January relevance, they can look back and say: when one door closed in Cleveland, Detroit cracked a window wide open.
Campbell’s philosophy wasn’t just talk. It became a blueprint. He consistently stresses running the ball, playing hard, and dominating the line of scrimmage, the exact traits that reportedly didn’t sit well with Cleveland’s analytics-first mindset back in 2019.
So the next time Lions fans hear about “what could’ve been” with other coaches or franchises, they can smile knowing their team didn’t waste its shot.
John Morton Lions offensive coordinator Alim McNeill injury update
The Bottom Line
Cleveland may still be looking for answers, but Detroit found one when it hired Dan Campbell. What was dismissed as “old-football” rhetoric by one team became the foundation for an NFC contender in Detroit.
Campbell got the chance Cleveland wouldn’t give him, and the Lions’ improvement is all the proof they need.