Coaching Candidate: Dan Campbell
I’m sure most of you have heard that Cleveland is looking for a new head coach. Some interviews have already taken place while others have yet to come. One of those candidates is Dan Campbell, who the Browns will visit on Friday. We are all thinking the same thing, who is this guy and why?
Well, let’s take a look.
Dan Campbell was born and raised in Texas. He grew up in one of the biggest football states in the country. They eat, sleep and breathe football down there. He played running back and tight end in high school. After accepting a scholarship to Texas A&M to play tight end, he was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft. He later went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions.
In 2009, Campbell signed with the New Orleans Saints to reunite with his former offensive coordinator from Dallas. That man is Sean Payton who fell off the Bill Parcells tree. That was the year that the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl and although Campbell was injured, he still received a ring.
The tight end decided to call it quits, but remained involved in football because in 2010 he was a coaching intern with the Miami Dolphins. Then, head coach Tony Sparano promoted him to oversee the tight ends just one year later. Campbell remained the tight ends coach for four more seasons even after coaching change and Joe Philbin was brought on board.
The 2015 season didn’t start out as anticipated and Philbin was fired after producing a 1-3 record. Dan Campbell was named interim head coach for the remaining 12 games and produced a 5-7 record including a season finale defeat of the New England Patriots.
Campbell moved on when the season concluded and once again reunited with Sean Payton, but this time it was as a member of his coaching staff. For three years, he has been in charge of the tight end unit as well as holding the title of assistant head coach. Campbell has been learning from one of the greatest offensive mines in the game today, but is that enough?
Well, it must be enough for John Dorsey to plan a sit down with him. If it’s good for him, it’s good for me. Dorsey is looking through all the haystacks to find that needle. Dan Campbell could be the next offensive genius if given the opportunity or he can just be a smoke screen to cover up the real candidate. Only time will tell.
