Dan Campbell may have a career spanning more than two decades in the NFL, but his marriage to his wife is his longest partnership.
The Detroit Lions head coach has been married to Holly Campbell for over 20 years. The couple have two children, Cody and Piper, and moved to Detroit, Michigan together after Dan was awarded the 2021 coaching position.
The position was originally open in 2018 and Dan was hoping to get an interview then, he told The Athletic in August 2022, but it was not his time.
“You kind of go through this feeling that the only job I’ve really wanted is the one I’ll never get,” Holly told the media about how he felt when he didn’t get the part.
Nevertheless, together they remained faithful that his opportunity would come, and, just a few years later, it did. Now Holly happily cheers on Dan and the Lions from the sidelines.
So who is Dan Campbell’s wife? Here’s everything you need to know about Holly Campbell and her relationship with an NFL coach.
They got married in 1999
Dan Campbell during Detroit Lions training camp on July 27, 2022 at the Lions headquarters and practice facility in Allen Park, Michigan.
Nic Antaya/Getty
The Lions coach and his wife married in 1999, the same year he was drafted by the New York Giants as a third-round pick.
Campbell played in the NFL for 10 years before pursuing a coaching career, starting as an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints before moving to the Lions.
They have two children together
Dan and Holly have welcomed two children since they got married: a son, Cody, and a daughter, Piper.
Cody also grew up playing football and even played at Trinity University before graduating in May 2022, according to his LinkedIn. He now attends the University of Michigan where he is pursuing a master’s degree in business analytics.
Cody shares his father’s passion for working in the NFL, having interned with the Saints and Lions.
Piper is still in high school and is incredibly proud of her father for the work he has done with the Lions. In a sweet tribute to Dan posted on Instagram in January 2023, Piper wrote how much she loved her dad and looked forward to his future with the team.
“This was crazy. You showed everyone what lions are really made of,” she wrote. “You gave the city something to fight for and that these are not the ‘same old lions.’ I can’t wait to see what you do in the future, I know it will be big. I’m so proud of you and I love you so much.
They love their three dogs, Thelma, Louise and Bird
Although Dan was initially not interested in getting two Teacup Yorkies, Holly convinced him otherwise and the couple welcomed Thelma and Louise into their family. They are also the parents of Bird, a Catahoula leopard dog. However, it is the Yorkies who are now on Dan’s side.
said Dan The Athletic that he got “those two clowns” to kill Holly, but now they follow him on his daily walk to Starbucks and sleep tucked under his arm.
Love his energy
Geronimo Allison #18 of the Detroit Lions talks with head coach Dan Campbell during training camp on July 31, 2021.
Leon Halip/Getty
Dan is known for being a high-energy coach, leading training sessions at 9 p.m. and lifting the spirits of everyone in the room with his emphatic hand waving, per The Athletic. His energy is infectious and one of the things Holly loves about him.
“You can laugh hysterically or get to the point where you’re like, ‘Stop, just stop talking,'” she told the paper.
Holly isn’t the only one captivated by his spirit. She said The Athletic that fans stop to chat with Dan wherever they go, and he’s happy to have a conversation.
“I always told him he was a magician,” she said. “He’s like a colorful bagpiper.”
He appreciates her support
Dan Campbell before a preseason game against the New York Giants at Ford Field on August 11, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan.
Nic Antaya/Getty
When Dan was first announced as the Lions’ new head coach, he made an opening statement at his introductory press conference in Detroit. Before calling out all the people who helped him get to this point in his career, he asked his wife for her support throughout their 20-year marriage.
“I have a lot of people to thank, OK?” Dan said, by Detroit Free Press. “First and foremost, my wife, Holly. We have been married for more than 20 years. She was my rock, man. She’s touched with me, she tells me exactly how it is – in a good way – well, not always in a good way, but I mean she’ll let me know exactly what she’s thinking, and that’s a good thing.”
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