It didn’t take long for the Washington Commanders to begin requesting permission to interview potential head coaching candidates after firing Ron Rivera Monday.
Two of the first names reported for Washington were both of the Detroit Lions coordinators: OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn.
Johnson is considered by most to be the most wanted candidate on the coaching market for 2024. He turned down opportunities last season to return to the Lions, which only increased his stock this time around. A former quarterback at the University of North Carolina, Johnson, 37, began his NFL coaching career with the Dolphins in 2012, gradually moving up until receiving his first coordinator position with the Lions in 2022.
Johnson’s work with quarterback Jared Goff has caught the attention of everyone across the NFL.
Glenn, 51, is a former NFL first-round pick who played 15 seasons. He started his coaching career in 2014, and his first coordinator job came with the Lions in 2021.
The Lions have had a remarkable turnaround under head coach Dan Campbell, with his coordinators receiving a lot of praise for that turnaround. And when you have the type of success Detroit had this year, other teams notice.
As of Friday, five teams have requested permission to speak with Johnson. Four teams have requested permission to speak with Glenn.
On Thursday, both coaches spoke about that interest.
“It’s — it’s awesome, quite an honor,” Johnson said. “But I honestly haven’t thought about it beyond anything that’s going on this week.”
Will Johnson take each of those interviews?
“Don’t know, yeah,” he answered.
Glenn, on the other hand, will take each of his interview requests.
“Will I take them all?” he answered. “I mean, yeah.”
“Well, listen, I’m flattered by the interview requests, I really am,” Glenn said. And, man, I do not want this to sound like coach-speak, but I try to focus on the main thing for this team, for this organization, because this is a big deal for us. ”
Johnson is in more of a position to turn down interview requests. That’s not to knock Glenn, but Detroit’s offense was much more successful than the defense. And the Carolina Panthers are known to badly want Johnson — a North Carolina native.
Can the Commanders convince Johnson to come to Washington and groom a young quarterback — the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL draft? It could be either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye — a fellow UNC alum like Sam Howell.