DETROIT – Dan Campbell said Monday that he expects the Detroit Lions will lose both of their coordinators.
Now that the Lions' season has ended thanks to a devastating loss to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs, all eyes are turning to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Johnson and Glenn are two of the top candidates for NFL teams with head coaching vacancies. While they’ve both been involved in the interview process before, this year seems different.
It feels inevitable that both will be coaching somewhere else by the end of the week.
“I would expect to lose both, but I haven’t been told anything,” Campbell said. “I’ve just got a feeling, but I’m prepared to lose both.”
Campbell talks about replacing coordinators
Campbell said he hasn’t been told anything, but the way he discussed the topic during Monday’s press conference was more telling than his actual comments.
Campbell spoke openly about the strong culture within the Lions' locker room and how it’s his job to preserve it if he has to replace both coordinators.
“Is it a loss? Absolutely it would be a loss,” Campbell said. “But yet, we move forward. This train rolls on and I’ll find the next-best guys for us.”
If Campbell wasn’t expected to lose Johnson and Glenn, he likely would have shrugged off questions about an impending hiring process, but instead, he dove right in.
“The easy thing to say is you want the best candidate,” Campbell said. “That’s one way to say it. But that’s also like saying, ‘Give me the best player.’ Give me the right player. Give me the right coach. Give me the right coordinator. That’s really what I’m looking for.”
Between Campbell openly stating that he expects to lose both coordinators and entertaining questions about their replacements, it sure sounds like Johnson and Glenn are about to be running their own teams.
If so, neither is exactly leaving on a high note.
Difficult final acts
Johnson took some criticism for the way the Lions offense operated in the loss to the Commanders.
Three critiques in particular stood out:
- The Lions didn’t run the ball enough despite a big game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
- The third-and-1 play call that resulted in a first-quarter fumble.
- The trick play that led to Jameson Williams throwing an interception.
Gibbs racked up 175 total yards and two touchdowns on 20 touches, but many Lions fans felt he should have gotten the ball more in a game that featured five turnovers on passing plays.
Goff’s fumble on that infamous third down erased a Lions red zone trip that could have given them a 14-3 lead. Instead, the Commanders marched down the field and took the lead.
Williams isn’t exactly known for his stellar decision-making, so the choice to give him the ball in a spot where he had to made a key decision as a passer was at best bold and at worst irresponsible.
Meanwhile, Glenn’s defense coughed up 481 yards and 38 points to the Commanders, forcing no turnovers and only one punt.
But as ugly as the performance was Saturday, both Lions coordinators have more than earned this head coaching interest. Johnson is one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game and Glenn coached the Lions defense through a ridiculous number of injuries to star players.
You can watch Campbell’s full briefing here:
