Dan Campbell didn’t have to look too far to find his new offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. The head coach tapped the man who helped author the impressive in-season turnaround in 2021, hiring Ben Johnson as Detroit’s new coordinator.
Johnson had been the team’s tight ends coach, but he took on a much bigger role following the midseason demotion of former OC, Anthony Lynn. While Campbell assumed the playcalling, Johnson stepped up with more involvement in the game planning and passing game coordination once Lynn stepped back to focus more on the running game.
He passed his test while serving as the offensive coordinator for the Lions staff while coaching the American roster in the Senior Bowl. The team did interview two other undisclosed candidates for the position, though Johnson was seen as an overwhelming favorite ever since the end of the season.
The 35-year-old Johnson has risen through the ranks since joining the Miami Dolphins as an offensive assistant in 2012. He served as the TE coach for Miami when Campbell became the interim head coach of the Dolphins in 2015. He played quarterback in college and has also worked as a QB coach and WR coach in his NFL tenures.