Dan Campbell discusses details of Dolphins interview

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Campbell sets record straight on 'exaggerated' details of Dolphins interview

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 11/22/22

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll have quite the history.

When Daboll told reporters last week of his memorable encounter interviewing Campbell for a tight ends coaching job when he was with the Miami Dolphins — one that Daboll alleges involved Campbell slamming chairs and hitting walls — the second-year Lions coach had to set the record straight.

Brian Daboll knows Lions coach Dan Campbell well. Interviewed and hired him in 2011 with the Dolphins (TE coach).

In the interview he remembers Campbell slamming chairs, hitting the wall. Was out of breath by the time he finished.

“Entertaining interview,” Daboll said.
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“Daboll, he tells that story to everybody,” Campbell said, via Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith. “He tells it to me every time I see him, we talk, he brings it up again. I don’t remember throwing chairs through the walls or anything. That didn’t happen. But I did demo on chairs. But, yeah, he definitely exaggerated it. But I was sweating and I was out of breath, and I did use a chair.”

Campbell maintains no chairs were thrown but they were instead used as props to demonstrate coaching strategies including where players would line up to block and run routes.

His methods may have been a bit unorthodox, but Campbell got the Dolphins job, and he and Daboll were part of Miami’s offensive coaching staff during the 2011 season.

Campbell also got the last laugh on Sunday as his Lions dominated Daboll’s Giants, 31-18, becoming the first team to hang 30 or more points on New York this season.

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