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Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes win Sporting News' coach and exec. of year awards

Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press
·4 min read
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The awards keep on coming for the Detroit Lions.

On Thursday, The Sporting News named Dan Campbell as Coach of the Year and general manager Brad Holmes as Executive of the Year for 2023. The Sporting News asked players, coaches, and executives to anonymously vote for the awards and were encouraged not to vote for members of their own team, meaning Campbell and Holmes were honored by their peers.

"Only head coaches were allowed to vote for Coordinator of the Year and Coach of the Year," The Sporting News wrote. "Only front-office staff and personnel decision-makers were allowed to vote for Executive of the Year."

The Lions' leaders were honored for their crucial role in helping Detroit have the most successful season in the last 30 years of the franchise. Campbell was the first Lions coach to win the Sporting News Coach of the Year award, which started being given out in 1947, while Holmes is the first Detroit executive to win the award since it started being given out in 1955, according to the outlet's records.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks to general manager Brad Holmes after the joint practice with New York Giants at Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks to general manager Brad Holmes after the joint practice with New York Giants at Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

Campbell and Holmes are the second straight head coach-GM duo from the same team to win the award in the same season, following Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane.

The Lions' two leaders helped deliver the franchise's first playoff win since 1991 and first season with multiple playoff victories since 1957, before falling short in the NFC championship game after holding a 17-point halftime lead with a chance for the first trip to the Super Bowl. The postseason success followed a 12-5 regular season campaign where the Lions won their division for the first time since 1993 while reinvigorating a hungry and passionate fanbase.

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Campbell was given the award over a number of other "strong cases" because he was able to garner lots of respect from other coaches around the league for how he was able to instill a culture within the Lions organization.

"Campbell, still only 47, has gone from former player turned coach to an inspirational, motivational master," The Sporting News wrote. "He relates well to his players and has instilled some mental toughness and aggressiveness, drawing from his own key playing experience. Campbell got a lot of respect outside of Detroit in a year when Kevin Stefanski, DeMeco Ryans, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, Todd Bowles, Mike Tomlin, Shane Steichen, and John Harbaugh all had strong cases."

Holmes received the award for being the "architect" of Detroit's quick three-year turnaround since he took over in 2021. His ability to find immediate contributors, including some Pro Bowl-level talent in the draft, coupled with the free agent moves he made at positions of concern which helped elevate the Lions to a contender in 2023.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes shows appreciation for fans as he walks onto the field ahead of the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023.
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes shows appreciation for fans as he walks onto the field ahead of the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023.

"Holmes, with some massive draft capital and spending power under the salary cap, was the classic quick-turnaround architect in Detroit," The Sporting News wrote. "He's been building a good foundation since taking the general manager position after coming over from the Rams' college scouting department. He put things in motion by making the Matthew Stafford-Jared Goff trade with the Rams, and the 2023 offseason was the crowning achievement."

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Campbell has a chance to take home a long list of Coach of the Year awards for the work he's done this season. Campbell is one of five finalists for AP Coach of the Year and also received NFC Coach of the Year from the 101 awards, voted on by media members. Holmes was named the Pro Football Writers of America's (PFWA) Executive of the Year last week for being able to construct the roster that reached the NFC Championship game.

The NFL awards will be presented Feb. 8 in Las Vegas, where Campbell can complete a triple crown of coaching awards for 2023. Campbell and Holmes will be back running things for 2024, as the Lions gear up to attempt another postseason run, and will have some continuity on the coaching staff with both coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, returning after interviewing for open head coaching positions.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes win 2023 Sporting News awards