By Mummy Grace 
But the staff turnover isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s a sign of how far this team has come under Campbell’s leadership. When assistants are getting plucked for bigger roles, it means the rest of the league sees something special—something worth replicating.
According to ESPN’s NFC North roundtable, there might be another Lions coach on the rise: Scottie Montgomery. Previously Detroit’s running backs coach, he’s now leading the wide receivers room. Lions beat writer Eric Woodyard sees him as a legit candidate for the 2026 NFL head coaching cycle.
Montgomery’s resume speaks volumes. He helped turn Detroit’s ground game into a powerhouse, coaching up Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery into the first duo in NFL history to each notch 10+ rushing TDs in back-to-back seasons. That kind of production gets noticed—and quickly.
He’s also no stranger to wearing multiple hats. Wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator, even head coach at the college level—he’s done it all. And after two strong seasons in Detroit and interviews for coordinator jobs elsewhere, it feels like just a matter of time before he gets his shot at running the show.
If Montgomery gets the most out of the Lions’ wide receiver corps in 2025, don’t be surprised if he’s one of the hottest names in the next hiring cycle.