Report: Lions Never Offered Matt Campbell Head Coaching Position

Matt Campbell did not receive an offer from the Detroit Lions.

After rumors swirled that Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell turned down a lucrative eight-year contract offer, a report has surfaced that the Detroit Lions never formally made Campbell an offer.

According to the Detroit Free Press, “A Lions source with knowledge of the team’s search process said Friday no formal offer was made to Campbell, and that the Lions got the No. 1 candidate on their list: Former New Orleans Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell.”

Earlier, CBS Sports analyst Dennis Dodd caused quite the stir when he indicated that the Lions offered Dodd an eight-year contract, with full control. 

“In the offseason, he turned down an eight-year, $68.5 million offer from the Lions — apparently, with full control, I haven’t confirmed that — to stay at Iowa State,” Dodd explained. 

The feasibility of the Lions making such a commitment to an unproven coach at the NFL level made it challenging to believe for many supporters and media. 

When team President Rod Wood was asked directly about Detroit offering the position to one of the hottest names in college football, Wood declined to comment. 

“I’m not going to comment on any college coaches,” he said. “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.”

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