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Dan Campbell's interview advice to Detroit Lions coordinators: 'Let them know who you are'
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- Dan Campbell's interview advice to Detroit Lions coordinators: 'Let them know who you are'
Whether he meant to or not, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell gave the most thorough explanation yet for why the NFL should postpone its hiring season until after the playoffs.
Lions coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn have 10 combined interview requests from teams with coaching vacancies and are scheduled to begin the virtual interview process this weekend.
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Campbell was asked Friday how Johnson and Glenn have balanced game-planning for Sunday's playoff tilt with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and preparing for interviews with multiple teams .
Johnson has six interview requests and reportedly was scheduled to talk Friday with the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers . Glenn has four interview requests.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn watches a play during the first half of the 24-23 win over the Rams in the playoffs at Ford Field on Sunday, Jan, 14, 2024.
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"Here's the luxury that a lot of coaches have that do these that aren't in the playoffs," Campbell said. "They get to dive into the roster of, hey, I want to go in, you're interviewing me, Washington, OK. I'm going to look at your roster up and down, tell you what you do well, what you don't, what I'd do with it. They can't do that. They don't have time. They don't have time."
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Campbell, who first interviewed for the Lions' head coaching job between playoff games with the New Orleans Saints in January of 2021, said coaches on teams still alive in the playoffs have to take a different approach.
"What they need to do is, and they will, just let them know who you are," Campbell said. "What you're about. Why you feel like we had success here. The things you believe in, and either they like you or they don't. And that's just, it's a little unfair but it's also, it's the business. And so you do that, you move on, get ready for the game and here we go."
The NFL tweaked its hiring rules this fall to prevent in-person interviews with coaches currently employed by other NFL teams until after the divisional round of the playoffs. Previously, only coaches whose teams were still alive in the playoffs were prevented from interviewing in person during the postseason.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff talks to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson during joint practice with New York Giants at Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.
Internal candidates and candidates not employed by other NFL teams — like Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh — are currently allowed to interview in person.
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For years, the league has debated moving the entire hiring process until after the season, though that suggestion has gained little traction.
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Both Johnson and Glenn said Thursday they spent the early part of the week gameplanning for the Buccaneers and would turn their attention to interviewing after practice Friday.
"I prepare by being myself," Glenn said. "Listen, I've been playing this game for a long time, I've been coaching it for a while, so the questions that they ask, there's a good chance I've got them already in my head."
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Campbell praised his coordinators for being "100% team-oriented" this week and reiterated he thinks both are ready for head coaching jobs.
As for how he'll go about replacing Johnson and/or Glenn if they get head coaching jobs this offseason, Campbell said he began formulating those plans last winter.
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The Lions have in-house candidates for both jobs in running backs coach/assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery and linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard , among others. Campbell could go outside the organization for hires, or he could handle offensive play calling himself like he did in the second half of the 2021 season.
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"That to me is done all in the offseason," Campbell said. "That's the point at what you have to have an answer for the next year if you lose coordinators for the following year, so that thing's been in motion. My head has been there back in the offseason. It's not there right now at all, not even close. Everything is about right now. We got our two coordinators here who are outstanding coaches, as well as (special teams coordinator) Dave Fipp. And they're the biggest reasons why we're sitting where we're at, so they're here and they're part of us, I'm glad they're part of us and we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dan Campbell's advice to Detroit Lions coordinators interviewing for jobs
