Dan Campbell’s parents, Larry and Betty Campbell, come from a family with a military background. The Detroit Lions head coach does have an older brother, who remains out of the spotlight.
His brother continued the family legacy and served in the military as an Army during Desert Storm. Dan was the first one from his family to break the mold and begin a footballing journey.
Campbell, the former NFL player turned head coach, was drafted by the New York Giants as the third-round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. He retired as a Saints’ player after the 2009 season, and though the Saints won the SuperBowl title that season, Campbell wasn’t given a ring.
Recently, after beating the defending SuperBowl Champions, Kansas City Chiefs, Dan said he was happy with his young side’s performance. He added the Lions had always been a resilient team and that they had added a few missing pieces to it.
Dan Campbell Parents Larry, And Betty Campbell
Dan Campbell’s parents, Larry and Betty Campbell, raised two boys in Clifton, Texas. Neither Larry nor Betty come from a footballing background.
In fact, the Campbell family has a long history of serving in the military. Dan Campbell’s grandfathers served in WWII, one in the Army and the other with the Marines.
His father, Larry Campbell, served for the Marines during the Vietnam War. In an interview with Detriot Free Press, when Larry was asked what was the biggest thing her learned in the military, the father of two boys said mainly discipline and not giving up.
During the interview, Larry complimented his son, saying Dan had always been a natural-born leader. But Larry also added something that he had never told before.
He admitted to being rough on Dan growing up but said he only wanted Dan to do his job to the best of his ability. Larry also believes that if Dan hadn’t gone to school, he would serve in the military.
After retiring from the military, Larry worked on his farm. Larry’s love for farm and farm animals was one of the reasons for him making his son choose Texas A&M.
When a recruiter from the University of Texas arrived at Dan’s home, he confused a Spanish goat with a black deer, leaving Larry unimpressed. But Texas A&M recruiter R.C. Slocum didn’t make the same mistake and knew it was a goat.
Larry later told his son that at least Slocum knew the difference between goat and sheep. His mother, Betty Campbell, has remained away from the spotlight.
Dan Campbell Wife, Holly Campbell
Dan Campbell met his life partner, Holly Campbell, at Texas A&M. The college sweetheart tied the knot in 2005 when Dan played for the Dallas Cowboys.
The couple has two kids, Cody and Piper Campbell. Their older child, Cody Campbell, graduated from Trinity University with a business analytics and technology degree in 2022.
Previously, when his dad was the assistant head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Cody was part of their Daily Operations Intern team. After Dan started working with the Lions, Cody followed his dad and joined the football information intern team.
Cody left the position earlier this year in May as he joined the University of Michigan-Stephen M Ross School of Business to work on his MBA degree.
Piper, 17, has a TikTok handle with a 10.1k following and has shared a couple of TikTok videos with her older brother. She previously played hockey with the Pioneers at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
