Detroit Lions owner Sheila Hamp has been bold, different and smart. It's paying dividends
The Detroit Lions' hype train has reached a stunning level.
“I love Dan Campbell," former NBA star Charles Barkley said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” "When I'm watching Dan Campbell, I'm like, ‘I want a do-over, I want to play for that dude.' So, the No. 1 thing I'm looking for is, I want the Lions to do well, because I love me some Dan Campbell.”
Hold on, the Chuck Wagon has hitched onto the Lions' hype train, too?
This is getting surreal.
Suddenly, this organization has believers spread across the nation. Campbell is beloved, oddsmakers in Las Vegas are predicting a winning record, fans expect the playoffs and the team has so much talent it actually had to release some good players on cut day. It makes you wonder: How did we get here?
If you ask me, everything has changed because of owner Sheila Hamp.
Specifically, eight moments that changed everything.
Dec 17, 2019: The big mistake
OK, so Hamp doesn't have a perfect track record, although she has a little bit of cover.
Hamp and her mother, Martha Firestone Ford (then technically the owner), decided to keep general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia for the 2020 season. "(Changing coaches) would have been the popular choice, the popular decision, and we knew that," Hamp told a small group of reporters at the time. "But as I say, we’re doing what is right for the organization."
Ah, nope. I thought it was a big mistake.
And it came with long-term ramifications. The front office was put in a win-now mandate and decided to draft cornerback Jeff Okudah at No. 3 overall, instead of a quarterback like Justin Herbert.
Another mistake — Okudah is no longer a Lion.
But Dave Birkett, our Lions beat writer, was one of the few reporters in that room with Hamp and mentioned he saw something important.
He wrote: “In her first lengthy interaction with reporters since taking a more prominent role as the team's most visible vice chair, (Hamp) came off as smart, strong and decisive, someone well aware of how Tuesday's decision will be received publicly but confident enough to make the call anyway — or urge her mother to, at the very least.”
And that decision set the stage for everything else. In my eyes, she learned from that decision.
June 23, 2020: Taking over
Hamp was named the Lions' new owner, replacing her 94-year-old mother.
"One of my first things that I want to do is set up with Rod (Wood, team president) some meetings with other parts of the organization that I really don't know that well," Hamp said. "I really want to take a deep dive and understand the whole thing."
Instead of coming in as a know-it-all, she wanted to learn — a humble, smart decision.
Then, she said something interesting — at least in hindsight. "Well, I think, for one thing, a winning organization —there's a lot of consistency," she said. "You've got to get the right mix of people and, I think, stay with it."
The right mix of people — that might be the most important thing she has ever said. Because it is her underlying philosophy, and it would show up months later when she hired a new front office and coach. More than anything, she wanted to put together the right group of people.
Nov. 28, 2020: Smart and decisive
Just 157 days after being named the Lions owner, Hamp fired Quinn and Patricia.
“It clearly wasn't working," Hamp said on a Zoom call with reporters.
Although it might have come several months too late, it was a smart decision and it set an important tone while saying several things:
Hamp will not accept losing.
She is willing to make a bold decision.
She was smart about it, pulling the plug before the end of the season to start looking for replacements.
She could see the big picture.
“We are going to do an extremely thorough and comprehensive search for both positions,” Hamp said at the time. “And yes, we have some ideas on what we're looking for, but again, not clearly defined.”
It sounded like owner-speak at the time, but it would prove true, if not incredibly important. She was willing to listen to new ideas, willing to think outside the box.
Dec. 4, 2020: Handling pressure
That's when a bipartisan group of 36 state lawmakers sent Hamp an official letter urging her to hire Robert Saleh as the Lions' next head coach.
Maybe Saleh, a Dearborn native, would have turned things around in Detroit — I thought the then San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator would make a great hire. He appears to have the New York Jets, who hired him in January 2021, headed in the right direction. But there is no guarantee he would have had the same chemistry with Brad Holmes.
Interestingly, Saleh has won 11 games in two seasons with the Jets, while Campbell has won 12 in two seasons in Detroit.
Again, the point isn't about Saleh. But passing on him said something important: Hamp will not cave to pressure —political or otherwise — and that’s key for any leader.
Dec. 14, 2020: Willing to change her mind
That's when Hamp wrote a letter to Lions employees and said: "This process will play out over the next six weeks or so, with the result being a well-vetted and proven head coach/GM team that can finally take the Lions where we all so earnestly wish to go — to the top!"
At that moment, it was clear that she wanted an experienced coach or GM.
Spoiler alert: Neither Campbell nor Holmes was a proven head coach or GM.
So, it’s clear that she was willing to change her mind — an important trait for any leader.
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Dec. 16, 2020: Bringing back No. 54
Hamp convinced Chris Spielman — the legendary Lions linebacker — to leave the broadcast booth and work in the Lions front office, just in time to be part of the hiring process.
I’d argue this was one of the most significant moves that Hamp has made.
When you talk about the Lions' culture right now — the focus on toughness and pure football players that permeates everything — we don’t give enough credit to Hamp for hiring Spielman. Because every move creates the next one.
Think of it this way: Without Spielman in his role, would the Lions have taken such a big risk in hiring Campbell?
Jan. 14, 2021: Finding a new way
The Lions officially interviewed 12 people for their GM job, several of whom had impressive resumes.
They interviewed former Kansas City Chiefs GM Scott Pioli, who won three Super Bowl rings as the New England Patriots' personnel director.
They interviewed former Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff, a two-time NFL executive of the year.
They also interviewed ESPN analyst Louis Riddick.
Think about how that might have changed everything.
I personally love him on ESPN, but consider what he said on that network's “Get Up” show: "Matthew Stafford should be sitting right where he is. They build around him, Detroit'll be just fine. Does that answer your question?"
If Hamp had hired Riddick, Stafford might still be the QB, and this rebuild would not be in the same place.
But Hamp hired Holmes out of the Los Angeles Rams' front office.
In describing Holmes, Hamp said: "Definitely cutting edge, definitely different from, I think, pretty much, what we've been doing here. So Brad's gonna bring a lot of new ideas and as I said, analytics are fabulous. And he always says get as much information as possible. But then there's the intuitive part of it, too. And he's got that as well."
At the same time they were hiring a GM, they were interviewing head coaching candidates.
By the time the Lions hired Holmes to be the general manager, they were already moving toward hiring Campbell as the head coach.
In her biggest move as owner — in a defining move, really — he was hiring a 44-year-old coach and a 41-year-old first-time GM.
Think of the courage it took to make those two hires.
Think about how bold it was.
To bring together two men who had never worked together. To play matchmaker.
It could have blown up in her face. But it has worked wonderfully. Because she trusted her gut and brought together the right mix.
Oct. 26, 2022: Staying the course
It’s hard to remember now, in the midst of this summer's hype, but this team started out last season 1-5.
There were serious questions about Campbell and Holmes. Shoot, I questioned them. After the Lions lost four straight, Hamp tried to calm everybody down.
“I know this is difficult," Hamp said in an attempt to show her support for the new regime. "A rebuild is hard. But we really believe in our process, we really believe we’re going to turn this thing around the right way, through the draft. It requires patience, it’s frustrating. Am I frustrated? Absolutely. Are the fans frustrated? Absolutely. Are you guys frustrated? But I think we really are making progress."
At that moment, Campbell had a 4-18-1 record in 23 games as the Lions' coach (and a 5-7 record in a 2015 interim stint with the Miami Dolphins). "What I really have confidence in is the process we went through in the first place when we hired Brad and Dan,” she said. "It was extremely thorough and we really believe we’ve come up with the right people.”
When asked if Campbell and Holmes' jobs were safe no matter how the Lions finished the season, Hamp stopped short of giving her full support.
"I think we really are making progress," Hamp said. "We're only one-third of the way through the season; we've got 11 more games to go, so I just don't want everyone to push the panic button and give up on the ship, because I think we've got the right people in place to pull this off. "
Now, looking back, it doesn’t seem like such a bold, risky decision. In hindsight, it seems wise. She left herself wiggle room to make a change after the season. And she gave Campbell a chance to turn the season around. Which is exactly what happened.
After that statement from Hamp, the Lions won eight of their final 11 games.
Granted, three of those wins were by four points or less — all on the road (against the Bears, Jets and Packers).
(A word of caution here: Man, how things would feel different if they hadn't won those close games.)
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All aboard, this train is leaving the station
Now, eight key dates later, here we are.
The Lions hype train is chugging along, picking up newcomers every day.
Expectations are soaring, and this team has enough talent for a special season.
It took strength to fire the old regime.
It took foresight to hire Spielman.
It took guts to hire two unproven 40-somethings to run this organization.
It took some imagination to do it this way — hiring a GM and coach at the same time, like some crazy matchmaker.
But it’s working. Holmes and Campbell look like the right mix, have changed the culture, changed everything. This still feels fresh and new and — frankly — completely different.
And the credit starts with Hamp.
Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions owner Sheila Hamp has been bold, different and smart
