Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell wasn’t the top coach on the team’s wishlist this offseason. He might not have been the top Campbell, either.
According to a report from CBS Sports, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell was offered an eight-year, $68.5 million contract to leave Ames and take over the Lions.
The contract would have exceeded the seven-year, $62.5 million deal the Carolina Panthers gave Matt Rhule in 2020 to leave Baylor.
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Matt Campbell has a 70-43 record in 10 seasons as coach at Toledo and Iowa State.
When Matt Campbell publicly announced his commitment to Iowa State on Jan. 9, Dan Campbell was interviewed the next day and hired within a week. His contract reportedly is worth around $3 million per season.
At his introductory press conference, Dan Campbell joked that he got the job because his agent convinced the team it was hiring the other Campbell.
“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.”
–Field Level Media