Dan Campbell started as head coach with the Detroit Lions in 2021, bringing 26 years of NFL experience, counting 15 years as a coach and 11 as a player.
His first season with the team was shaky, but since then, Campbell has led the Lions through two historic seasons, including going to the NFC championship game during the 2023 season for the first time in 30 years.
Campbell isn’t the most public guy, but he has made his love for one particular metal band very clear throughout the years.
Detroit Lions HC Dan Campbell’s Likely Favorite Band
Campbell has famously gushed about Metallica over the years. Campbell has quoted Metallica during team speeches, including during the first episode of the 2022 season of HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” where he quoted lyrics from Metallica’s “No Leaf Clover” in a speech he was giving to players.
Then, when Metallica announced they were going to play two dates in Detroit at Ford Field in 2023 on their “72 Seasons” World Tour, Campbell recorded a welcome message to Metallica for socials, in which he said, “Detroit is ready for you.”
Metallica’s James Hetfield even posted a video response to Dan Campbell saying how excited he was to play at Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions.
“Hey y’all this is James from Metallica the shout out goes out to Coach Campbell and all his awesome references to Metallica lyrics,” Hetfield said in the video message. “Especially the light at end of your tunnel. Metallica is grateful to be played in his house, the Ford Field, and we’re gonna put in a good word for you with Roger Goodell and see if you can get a bye week so you can come to see our show.” Hetfield ended it by saying, “Go Lions.”
Campbell wasn’t able to attended the Metallica shows in Detroit, because he was on the road with the Lions. But, he was there in spirit. In a press conference before the show in November 2023, he said of the band, “They’ve stood the test of time.”
So, while we cannot confirm or deny that Metallica is Campbell’s No. 1 favorite band of all time, they’ve got to be up there.
Detroit Lions’ Dan Campbell Compared to Other NFL Coaches
Heading into the 2025 season, Patrick Daugherty of NBC Sports ranked Campbell the No. 7 best head coach, which is the same spot he was last season.
“Dan Campbell’s Lions have improved from three victories to nine to 12 to 15. It was at the top where they suffered their first real setback,” Daugherty states. “The NFC’s No. 1 seed, a defenseless Lions team got shocked at home by the Commanders in the Divisional Round. It was a devastating defeat at a moment where many were projecting a Super Bowl pinnacle for one of the NFL’s most inspiring recent projects.”
He adds that heading into the new season, “everyone from the fans, to the front office has developed a taste for winning they never thought possible. The NFL’s ultimate tone setter now has to figure out how to make 2025 a season of redemption instead of decline. Campbell has aced test after test. This will be his trickiest one yet.”
