Lions appear to have settled on ex-player as head coach

A day after filling its vacant general manager's post, it now appears the Detroit Lions are closing in on a new head coach.

According to multiple reports on Friday, New Orleans Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell has emerged as the front-runner to become the next head coach of the Lions.

The 44-year-old Campbell, who is said to have strong leadership skills, played three seasons for the Lions from 2006 to 2008, which included the 0-16 season of 2008.

The Lions conducted a Zoom interview with Campbell on Monday, but cannot do an in-person interview or make a contract offer until after the Saints are eliminated from the NFL playoffs. New Orleans will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in an NFC divisional round match.

A third-round pick by the New York Giants in 1999, tight end Campbell, who was known more for his blocking skills, spent 11 seasons in the NFL with four teams, including the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans. A medial collateral ligament injury in training camp kept him from playing in his only season with the Saints in 2009, but he did receive a Super Bowl ring after the team's win over Indianapolis and then retired.

Campbell became a coaching intern the next season with the Miami Dolphins before becoming tight ends coach in 2011. He was named interim head coach in 2015 and went 5-7 after the club fired Joe Philbin.

He joined Sean Payton's staff in New Orleans the following season. Campbell played for Payton when he was the assistant head coach of the Cowboys.

Campbell was one of six people known to have interviewed for the Detroit job, joining Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell, Tennessee offensive co-ordinator Arthur Smith, who has reportedly been offered the Atlanta head coaching job, former Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis, Kansas City offensive co-ordinator Eric Bieniemy and San Francisco defensive co-ordinator and Michigan native Robert Saleh, who was named head coach of the New York Jets on Thursday. Tampa Bay defensive co-ordinator Todd Bowles was reportedly scheduled to interview with the Lions on Friday, but cancelled the interview.

New general manager Brad Holmes is expected to arrive in Detroit early next week, which would also allow him to have a voice in the eventual hiring of a head coach.