Current Lions head coach Dan Campbell looks to be the franchise’s best head coach in a generation. Usually, coaches enjoy a short stint in the motor city, shuffled in and out before they can leave an indelible mark.

How high does Campbell already rank on the list of the greatest Lions coaches of all time? Keep reading this Betway Insider top 10 to find out. As usual, all stats are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and are current through the end of the 2023 regular season.

Who is the Detroit Lions head coach for the 2023 NFL season?

The Detroit Lions’ 2023 head coach is Dan Campbell, who’s been with the team since 2021. Other members of his Lions’ coaching staff include offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

Detroit Lions Head Coach History

Famous coaches for the Lions include title-winners in HC Buddy Parker and HC George Wilson, back in the pre-Super Bowl days. Lions' head coach history since then hasn’t been as rich, but current coach Dan Campbell might flip that script.

Ranking the 10 greatest Head Coaches in Detroit LionsHistory

  1. Ben Johnson, 2022-Present

Position: Offensive Coordinator

Current Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson won’t be in the job for learning -- he will likely already be the head coach of another NFL franchise by the time this is published (cough cough, the Washington Commanders).

Johnson coached alongside current Lions HC Dan Campbell in Miami from 2012-2015: both served as the team’s TE coach at various points. Now, Johnson has been a revelation as the Lions’ offensive play-caller. The team went from 25th and 22nd in points and yards per game (respectively) to 5th and 4th in 2022 and 5th and 3rd in 2023.

Get this man a head coaching job!

  1. Monte Clark, 1978-1984

Former Detroit HC Monte Clark led the Lions to the playoffs twice -- both in the strike-shortened season of 1982 and then again in 1983. Detroit didn’t make the playoffs in any other campaign between 1971 and 1990.

The team was perpetually just okay under Clark, sometimes buoyed by standout performances via 1980 #1 overall pick RB Billy Sims. They almost completed a famous road playoff victory against the San Francisco 49ers in 1983 but fell a missed field goal short.

  1. Jim Schwartz, 2009-2013

Current Browns defensive coordinator just pulled off a fine trick in Cleveland -- his appointment helped Cleveland improve from 14th in yards per game in 2022 to 1st in 2023. As the Lions head coach, Schwartz pulled up an even better trick.

Schwartz inherited an 0-16 squad ahead of this 2009 appointment. The team took baby steps in year 1 and year 2, improving first to 2-14 and then 6-10. By 2011, the Lions were back in the playoffs for the first time since 1999, going 10-6 and earning a road playoff date with the Saints (which they lost).

The team sunk to 4-12 in 2012 and Schwartz was eventually let go following the 2013, but his success in resuscitating the organization should not be forgotten.

  1. Joe Schmidt, 1967-1972

Former Lions HC Joe Schmidt is a legend in Detroit mostly for his prowess on the field. The Pro Football Hall of Famer was a 2x NFL Champion and 8x First-team All-Pro in Detroit during his stellar career from 1953-1965.

Schmidt was named head coach just two years after his retirement and served as an assistant coach in 1966. The team took off in 1969 after struggling during his first two campaigns. In 1970, the Lions were back in the playoffs for the first time in 1962, losing to the Cowboys 5-0.

Schmidt had the Lions over .500 in both 1971 and 1972 but the team missed the playoffs both years.

  1. Jim Caldwell, 2014-2017

Another past Lions head coach,  Jim Caldwell, built upon Jim Schwartz’s good work when he took over in 2014. The offensive specialist was spoiled with talent on that side of the ball: QB Matthew Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson, WR Golden Tate.

Caldwell led the Lions to the playoffs twice: both in 2014 and 2016. His 36-28 overall record represents the second-best win percentage in franchise history (minimum 10 games). He may have never won a playoff game, but Caldwell had a very underrated tenure in Detroit.

  1. Dan Campbell, 2021-Present

By the time current Lions HC Dan Campbell is finished in Detroit, he could very well be far higher on this list. In just his third season, Campbell has the Lions in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers following impressive home playoff victories against both the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Prior to those wins, the Lions hadn’t won a playoff game since the 1991 season. Prior to that, the team hadn’t won a playoff game since the 1962 playoff bowl. Campbell has made winning seem like a formality in a city where it has somehow been ever so difficult.

  1. George Clark, 1931-1936, 1940

Who was the Detroit Lions to their first NFL championship? Former Lions HC George Clark!

Clark took over in the franchise’s second-ever season back in 1931, back when the team was still the Portsmouth Spiders. The team moved to Detroit in 1934 and immediately leaped near the top of the standings, going 10-3. Clark had them in their first NFL Championship game a year later and they defeated the Giants 26-7.

Clark would never reach another Championship game in Detroit, but he should be lauded for helping build the foundation in the pre-Super Bowl era.

  1. Wayne Fontes, 1988-1996

Who was the head coach who won the most recent Lions’ playoff game before Dan Campbell? That would be Wayne Fontes, who had the most successful Detroit tenure of any coach during the Super Bowl era.

Yes, Fontes had the luxury of having Hall of Fame RB Barry Sanders at his disposal -- Sanders is arguably the greatest running back in NFL history. However, for a team allergic to success, Fontes should be lauded for leading the team to the playoffs on four occasions.

1991 was his finest campaign, when Detroit went 12-4 (still the franchise record best winning percentage in the Super Bowl era), beat the Cowboys in the playoffs, and he took home NFL Coach of the Year.

  1. George Wilson, 1957-1964

Former Lions HC George Wilson was a 4x NFL Champion as a Chicago Bear, and he brought a good deal of his success to his head coaching tenure in Detroit. Wilson had the impossible task of following franchise icon Buddy Parker, but he certainly did his best.

Loaded with a team of Hall of Famers in 1957 coming off a pair of down seasons, Wilson won the NFL Championship in his first season, routing Jim Brown and the Cleveland Browns 59-14. In the process, Wilson won the 1957 NFL Coach of the Year.

Wilson never led the team back to a Championship game, but he did lead the Lions to victories in three-straight playoff bowls from 1960-1962 (the then-NFL equivalent of a third-place game).

  1. Buddy Parker, 1951-1956

Why is past Detroit HC Buddy Parker the best head coach in Lions history? Here’s his Detroit CV:

  • 2x NFL Champion
  • 1956 NFL Coach of the Year
  • Most division titles in franchise history
  • Beloved by Lions fans

Parker is a rare 2x NFL Championship-winning coach to not be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Parameters of Rankings

Rankings are made based on a combination of 1) individual accomplishments, 2) team success, 3) franchise legacy, and 4) personal accolades.

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