DETROIT: The Detroit Lions announced today that head coach Dan Campbell and executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes will have their contracts extended. In order to remain with the team until the 2027 season, both parties consented to multi-year extensions.

“We are overjoyed that Brad and Dan have contracts for the upcoming four seasons,” stated Sheila Hamp, principal owner and chair of the Detroit Lions. “They have been the main reason for our football team’s reconstruction and the success we have had. Our football program’s continuity from them will be essential to our on-field success in the future.”

Prior to the 2021 season, Brad Holmes signed with the Lions, and he is recognized for having rebuilt the team’s squad with an eye on long-term success. Holmes, who is well-known for his talent detection skills, has chosen important foundational players for the Lions all over the draft board, including Penei Sewell (2021, ranked 7th overall), Alim McNeill (2021, ranked 72nd overall), Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021, ranked 112th overall), Aidan Hutchinson (2022, ranked 2nd overall), Jameson Williams (2022, ranked 12th overall), Kerby Joseph (2022, ranked 97th overall), Jahmyr Gibbs (2023, ranked 12th overall), Jack Campbell (2023, ranked 18th overall), Sam LaPorta (2023, 34th overall), and Brian Branch (2023, ranked 45th overall). Having worked as a football talent evaluator and leader for more than 20 years, Holmes came to the Lions from the Los Angeles Rams, where he spent 18 years rising through the ranks to become Director of College Scouting. In 2023, he was recognized as the PFWA NFL Executive of the Year for assembling a group that led the Lions to a 12-5 record and the 2023 NFC Championship game.

Six days after Holmes joined the Lions, Dan Campbell joined as well, and the two have worked together to build a successful program in Detroit. In his first full-time position as head coach in Detroit, Campbell has amassed a 24-26-1 record. After starting the season with a 3-13-1 record in his first season and leading Detroit to a 12-5 record in 2023, the former NFL tight end has overseen a major turnaround. In 2023, Campbell guided the Lions to their first-ever NFC North Division crown and their first-ever NFL playoff triumph in thirty-two years. The Lions made their first appearance in the NFC Championship game since 1991 in the 2023 edition. Based on the team’s performance in 2023, Campbell was named a finalist for the Associated Press Coach of the Year award.

The club also declared that Special Assistant to the President/CEO and Chairperson Chris Spielman and the club had reached an agreement on a multi-year extension.

The team selected Chris Spielman, who is among the most decorated players in Lions history, with the 29th overall pick in the 1988 draft. Spielman set the franchise record for tackles (1,138) in eight seasons as a linebacker, a mark he still owns. In 2021, Spielman returned to the company in the capacity of Special Assistant to President/CEO Rod Wood and Principal Owner and Chair Sheila Hamp. Spielman’s present position allows him to assist throughout the entire organization, and he has played a significant role in reviving the Lions’ on-field culture.

President and CEO Rod Wood stated, “I could not be more proud of the work that Brad, Dan, and Chris have done for our organization.” “They have devotedly collaborated to create a winning culture for the Lions. In order to bring about the long-term success we anticipate for the team, our supporters, and the city of Detroit, I am eager to keep working with them.”