New Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell agrees to six-year contract, source says.

The Detroit Lions have awarded their new coach Dan Campbell a six-year contract, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

On Wednesday, the Lions made the announcement of Campbell’s employment, but they withheld the terms. On Thursday, the club will present him at a press conference.

“Dan has over 20 years of experience in the National Football League, having played and coached there. He is well-versed in the demands of the league and what it takes to succeed there. Lions main owner Sheila Ford Hamp stated in a statement, “He will help promote the culture we want to establish across our organization, while also bringing with him high energy, a respect for the game and an identity with which everyone can align themselves.”

Rather than being an X-s and O’s guru, the 44-year-old Campbell is seen as a team builder and motivator who has never worked as an NFL coordinator. The Lions had been looking for unifiers, or players who possessed the attributes they thought were necessary to turn an organization that had only won one playoff game during the Super Bowl era and its last division victory in 1993 into a winner.

Only 12 games as an interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins give Campbell’s head coaching experience; but, the Lions obviously thought highly enough of him to match him with freshly acquired general manager Brad Holmes. Whom Campbell brings in as coordinators will be critical to his success because they have no prior experience calling plays on either side of the ball.

All three of Holmes, Campbell, and vice president of football administration Mike Disner will report to team president Rod Wood, the Lions announced during Holmes’ inaugural news conference on Tuesday, establishing a balanced organizational structure. Wood responded that it would be a collaborative approach when asked who the final would have say in selecting the 53-man roster: Holmes or Campbell.

Wood released a statement saying, “Dan’s enthusiasm for this opportunity was evident throughout our interview process.” Finding the appropriate leader who shares our goal to creating a winning culture based on cooperation and organizational alignment was crucial when we started looking for a head coach. Dan is ready for this next step, and we are thrilled to have him as our new head coach because of the leadership he has demonstrated throughout his football career.”