Ranking Detroit Lions head coaches since 2000

2. Dan Campbell (2021-present, 12-21-1 record)

With the aforementioned winning season in 2022, Campbell has already done something few of his predecessors this century have done. He has helped set a unique tone for the team, and surely an altogether different and refreshing tone from the man he replaced (Patricia).

Where Campbell's tenure goes from here is unknown. But the Lions have quickly landed on a positive track, and players buy what he is selling. That last point is also more than many of his recent predecessors can say, rooted in Campbell being a former NFL player who had to grind to have as long as a career as he had.

Campbell could take the top spot on this list down the road. But he's got some work to do.

1. Jim Caldwell (2014-2017, 36-28 record)

Caldwell had three winning records in four seasons as Lions head coach, including two playoff berths. In Lions' history over the last five or six decades, this side of Wayne Fontes, that's a fantastic run. Since 2000, it's more than enough to be No. 1 in this ranking of Lions' head coaches.

But when Bob Quinn came on as the general manager in Detroit, from the New England organization, it was only a matter of time before he made a change at head coach whenever he deemed the opportunity was right. A 9-7 non-playoff season in 2017 brought the move, and Quinn hired "his guy" (Patricia). We know what happened after that, as "Quinntricia" tried to fix something that wasn't really broken.

There's no doubt Caldwell got a raw deal with a too-early exit in Detroit. After years of getting interviews, he now seems comfortable with the idea he'll never be a head coach again. But Lions can wonder what might have happened had he not been let go too soon.