Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells has left an indelible mark on the NFL, and the latest team to experience his influence comes to town to face Dallas in a pivotal NFC matchup this weekend.
The Detroit Lions, historically one of the worst franchises in the league, enter with an 11-4 record behind the leadership of former Cowboys’ tight end and Parcells disciple Dan Campbell as their head coach. Campbell spent three seasons in Dallas under Parcells after coming over from the New York Giants and is one of several coaches influenced by Parcells to become a head coach.
“The biggest thing for me that I would take away from Bill is just how to deal with players and personalities and things of that nature,” Campbell told ESPN in 2021.
“I’ve said it before; Nobody is as good as Bill Parcells at motivating players. And, just the way he did it, he knew who needed a hug. He knew who needed a kick in the rear. He knew who needed to be challenged and who needed to be built up. To me, those are the things I most remember about Bill.”
Campbell entered the coaching ranks in 2010 and got his first taste of head coaching experience as the interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015. When his time in Miami was over, he joined yet another Parcells disciple in ex-Dallas and New York Giants assistant, Sean Payton, then the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
“I would’ve never gotten to Dallas if it hadn’t been for him vouching for me with Coach Parcells, and it just grew from there,” Campbell said earlier this season regarding his relationship with Payton. “I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Sean and everything about him, and probably the greatest compliment I can give to him is that he believed in me always, and he gave me that shot as a player and a coach.”
Under Payton, Campbell continued to learn the ropes of being a head coach in the NFL and finesse his craft until an opportunity came to lead a franchise on his own.
The Lions hired Campbell to replace Matt Patricia in January 2021. While ridicule and question marks filled the immediate national response to his hiring, he has quickly turned the team into a playoff contender in just three seasons by following the principles of the two former Dallas coaches.
“Bill’s always about, ‘Man, just trust what you believe in,'” Campbell told The Dallas Morning News “Trust what you believe in. Be convicted in it, and don’t go away from it. Just stay the course. It will come. It will come. You just can’t get discouraged.”
Campbell’s journey has had several full-circle moments. He was a member of the 2008 Lions team that became the league’s first-ever 0-16 team, yet has now led them to their first division title in 30 years and defeated Payton’s Denver Broncos 42-17 earlier this season. He also has a win over the Saints.
Will Saturday’s homecoming be another full-circle moment for Campbell and the upstart Lions, or will the Cowboys pass their biggest test so far and finish the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record at home?
The game starts at 7 p.m. CT.
