DETROIT: The Detroit Lions announced today that head coach Dan Campbell and executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes will have their contracts extended. In order to remain with the team until the 2027 season, both parties consented to multi-year extensions.
“We are overjoyed that Brad and Dan have contracts for the upcoming four seasons,” stated Sheila Hamp, principal owner and chair of the Detroit Lions. “They have been the main reason for our football team’s reconstruction and the success we have had. Our football program’s continuity from them will be essential to our on-field success in the future.”Prior to the 2021 season, Brad Holmes signed with the Lions. He is recognized for having restored the team’s roster with a focus on long-term success. Penei Sewell (2021, 7th overall), Alim McNeill (2021, 72nd overall), Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021, 112th overall), Aidan Hutchinson (2022, 2nd overall), Jameson Williams (2022, 12th overall), Kerby Joseph (2022, 97th overall), Jahmyr Gibbs (2023, 12th overall), Jack Campbell (2023, 18th overall), Sam LaPorta (2023, 34th overall), and Brian Branch (2023, 45th overall) are just a few of the important foundational pieces that Holmes has chosen for the Lions throughout the draft board. Holmes, a football talent evaluator and leader with over 20 years of experience, came to the Lions from the Los Angeles Rams, where he climbed the ranks.Six days after Holmes joined the Lions, Dan Campbell joined as well, and the two have worked together to build a successful program in Detroit. In his first full-time position as head coach in Detroit, Campbell has amassed a 24-26-1 record. After starting the season with a 3-13-1 record in his first season and leading Detroit to a 12-5 record in 2023, the former NFL tight end has overseen a major turnaround. In 2023, Campbell guided the Lions to their first-ever NFC North Division crown and their first-ever NFL playoff triumph in thirty-two years. The Lions made their first appearance in the NFC Championship game since 1991 in the 2023 edition. Based on the team’s performance in 2023, Campbell was named a finalist for the Associated Press Coach of the Year award.
The club also declared that Special Assistant to the President/CEO and Chairperson Chris Spielman and the club had reached an agreement on a multi-year extension.
The Lions selected Chris Spielman in the 1988 (29th overall) draft, making him one of the most decorated players in the team’s history. Spielman set the franchise record for tackles (1,138) in eight seasons as a linebacker, a mark he still owns. In 2021, Spielman returned to the company in the capacity of Special Assistant to President/CEO Rod Wood and Principal Owner and Chair Sheila Hamp. Spielman’s present position allows him to assist throughout the entire organization, and he has played a significant role in reviving the Lions’ on-field culture.President and CEO Rod Wood stated, “I could not be more proud of the work that Brad, Dan, and Chris have done for our organization.” “They have devotedly collaborated to create a winning culture for the Lions. In order to bring about the long-term success we anticipate for the team, our supporters, and the city of Detroit, I am eager to keep working with them.”
