Matt Campbell agreed, then pivoted on Detroit Lions' coaching job

According to an ESPN report, things nearly looked vastly different for the Detroit Lions over the past five seasons.

In a look at his transition from Iowa State to the Penn State head coaching job, ESPN's Jake Trotter revealed that new Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell had agreed to take the Lions job in 2021 before changing his mind.

Here's the excerpt from Trotter's Wednesday report on Matt Campbell.

The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year and winningest coach in Iowa State history had rebuffed overtures from other big-time college programs over the years, including from Texas and USC according to sources. In 2021, Campbell initially agreed to coach the Detroit Lions before changing his mind; the Lions hired Dan Campbell instead. - Jake Trotter, ESPN

It's safe to say that things have worked out just fine for Lions fans. Dan Campbell has the Lions in the midst of four straight winning seasons, something the franchise hadn't accomplished since 1969-72.

Across five seasons, Campbell boasts a 48-36-1 regular-season record and a 2-2 mark in the NFL playoffs. The Lions advanced to the NFC championship game in 2023 and earned the NFC's No. 1 seed in 2024.

It's impossible to project how Matt Campbell would have worked out in the Motor City with revisionist history, but his track record at Iowa State has certainly been impressive. In 10 seasons leading the Cyclones, Matt Campbell became the winningest coach in program history with a 72-55 mark.