After he was fired as head coach of the Bears following the 2017 season, John Fox appeared to be out of coaching. But when he got back to work again in 2022, as a defensive assistant with the Colts, he realized he still has a passion for it.
That’s the word from Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who hired Fox to be a defensive assistant this offseason. Campbell, who’s known for his fiery demeanor, says Fox will fit right in with what the Lions want.
“A very successful head coach, three different teams in this league,” Campbell said, via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “He’s been out of it for about five years, he went back to Indy last year kind of in the same capacity [as his position in Detroit], senior defensive assistant, and man, you could see the fire in him. It’s impressive, man. He misses the chess match, he misses preparing for an opponent, and just worrying about defense. I think he’s going to be great at helping [defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn], just watching his blind spots.”
The 68-year-old Fox brings decades of coaching experience with him to Detroit. And if Campbell is correct, Fox also brings impressive energy.