BigDahm and The Crew: OC Thoughts

Validated all my candidates against the Pride of Detroit coaching tracker found here: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/detroit-lions-coaching-news-rumors/155017/2026-detroit-lions-coach-staff-hires-tracker-latest-candidates-news

Additional information found on espn.com, wikipedia.org, and foxsports.com

In my previous article on the offensive coordinator position, I said the following qualifiers are what I thought the Lions were looking for: “I believe (and interviews lean this way), that the Lions are looking for a young budding offensive mind. Someone who has shown at some point the ability to pivot as needed, no matter what about. Someone who is willing to take responsibility for failures and grow from them. Finally, someone who will not be insulted by Dan Campbell calling plays”

That all considered, here are my top two candidates for the Lions Position

Number 1: Mike McDaniel, former HC with the Miami Dolphins. Interviewed January 13th. McDaniels seems to be a great fit except for one piece, I do not think he would be okay not calling plays. I stand by the thought that Dan Campbell wanted to call plays in 2026 when the season ended. Did he perhaps change his mind? That is certainly possible. McDaniels just seems to have one of those popular football minds that knows what to do with speed and timing in an offense. I think he would do very well with the players the Lions have amassed. 

Number 2: Zac Robinson, former OC with the Atlanta Falcons. Interviewed January 15th. This potential hire has grown on me, another young (39 years old) offensive coordinator option with a strong “football mind”. He has coached with the Rams at the same time Goff was there (albeit for a short time), so he has some familiarity with our QB. The Falcons offense was ranked 14th this year, averaging 333 yards a game. He also has been able to work with weapons like Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts. Kyle Pitts returned to form last season with 928 yards and 5 touchdowns. It just seems like Zac as an OC has a lot of “meat left on the bone” and it may not be logical but I really like him for our position. 

The Crew Chimes In: 

To get a feel of other Lions fans, I made some calls to some friends to get their brief thoughts on who should be the next coordinator:

MCBC: “Dream choice would be McDaniel. I just think his offensive creativity and genius would make the sky the limit. We would return or exceed the Ben Johnson days. I’m warming up to Jake Peetz. I think he could have a huge upside, but he’s an unknown. He could possibly be slowly introduced to play calling if Dan wants to start with it and ease him into it. He’s a known “passing scheme guy” but what does he really bring to the run game? Slightly concerning, but maybe he’s great. Just don’t know.”

Kafka and the guy from Atlanta just haven’t been great previously. Possibly not enough talent but not sure I have the patience or want to find out. Smith has had success back with Tennessee but has been kinda blah since then. I think he could be good but not sure he’d blow the roof off. 

Bash: “Thanks for the question. As someone who watches as much football as I can, there’s one potential coordinator that is tops on my list and that is Mike McDaniel. I think he’s the best fit X-Factor (if available). 

I’ll share three reasons why. 

McDaniel has proven offensive success in the NFL - especially with a run-heavy, creative scheme that maximizes spacing, motion, and play-action balance (traits that would fit Detroit’s roster really well). He’s widely respected as one of the league’s more inventive offensive minds. 

He has head coaching experience, so he’s not just an OC - he understands game management and culture leadership. That could take pressure off Dan Campbel and give the Lions a more modern offensive approach. 

These Lions love to score points and if I recall, his high flying Dolphins put up 70 points in the last couple years. I think he’d take this offense to the next level with his offensive wherewithal, similar to what we had with Ben Johnson. He would also attract talent, being that he’s likable, young, eclectic and relatable. “

DraftinDoornbos: “Realistically Nathan Scheelhaase or Jake Peetz. Personally I think Campbell has had his most success by giving up-and-comers their big break (rather) than going with an established guy.”

GroottheDutch: “I want Dan Orlovsky as OC because he has a nice butt.” 

I mean, personally I don’t see the butt value, but to each their own (I mean come on folks, we gotta have some fun here!)

Thank you to everyone who responded to my call for opinions. I truly think the Lions are taking their time and going to pick the best possible candidate for this position: Here’s hoping it works out.