Matt Campbell Reveals Reason for Turning Down Detroit Lions

On Tuesday, Big Ten Media days began in Chicago, Illinois. The official start of Big Ten football season saw six head coaches previewing the season for their teams.

For Matt Campbell, the newest Penn State head coach, he was the only one speaking on day one that was in a new location from 2025. During his first months with Penn State, it was revealed that the previous Iowa State head coach had turned down the Detroit Lions head coaching job in 2021.

When asked what made Penn State the right fit to leave the Cyclones by Lions OnSI, Campbell was open about the decision. The head coach cited that leaving Ames was no easy choice, and it had to be the right fit. Evidently, heading towards the Motor City in 2021 was not the fit for Matt Campbell.

“I’m really proud of what we were able to accomplish at Iowa State in our 10 years,” Campbell expressed. “Great players, great people, great community.

“And if we were ever going to leave Iowa State, it was going to have to be a school and an institution that really fit how I believe and what I believe, in how you build culture, how you build team, and how you build forward.”

To reiterate, the head coach was looking for the perfect culture fit to leave a job that he had spent five years at prior to the Lions calling. At the time, the Lions organization was a mess, as franchise superstar Matthew Stafford was looking for an exit after a disastrous end to the Matt Patricia era.

The Lions were not the Dan Campbell juggernaut seen today, as the only players on that 2021 roster that remain with the organization today were Tom Kennedy and Jack Fox, both primarily special teams players.

Another reason cited for Campbell’s departure from Ames was that he was looking for a rich history and fit that he could restore. While he built a legacy at Iowa State, the coach was in search of a rich football history, where it meant something to don the jersey.

“And I think that for the last six months, we’ve been reminded why it was such a great fit for us at Penn State. I think the history, what it means to play there, but how you do it, the integrity, the character in the class,” Campbell revealed.

“In its finest moments, what Penn State football has stood for really resonated with myself and certainly my background. So, it really had to be a perfect fit and that’s really why.”

In 2026, it is easy to see the culture of the Detroit Lions. Back in 2021, that was not the case, as the Lions were still in clear need of a rebuild as the regime was changing.

It is also worth mentioning that rebuilding a college football program is significantly easier than rebuilding a professional football program, as the transfer portal turns over 2,000 players into free agents every season without fail. In comparison, including the practice squad, there are just over 2,000 players in the NFL in one given season.

In the end, the Lions second option, Dan Campbell, proved to be the right man for the rebuild. However, the chapter of “what if” for Matt Campbell now has had the why revealed for his decision five years ago.

Add us as a preferred source on Google