The Detroit Lions have become one of the best teams in the NFL after decades of losing seasons. While the talent on their roster has a huge part to play, the coaching staff has done its job to lead the Lions deep in the playoffs last year.
This season, the Lions look to continue that trend and make a run for the Super Bowl. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has done his fair share to turn the Detroit offense into a scoring machine.
Everything You Need To Know About Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson
Born in Charleston, S.C., Johnson grew up playing football at a high level. He was a walk-on for the Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2004, where he competed as a reserve quarterback behind T.J. Yates before graduating in 2008.
Johnson was then inspired to get into coaching by his former North Carolina offensive coordinator, John Stoop.
He was then hired as a graduate assistant for the Boston College Eagles in 2009 and later promoted to the tight ends coach in 2011.
Johnson’s first NFL coaching job came in Feb. 2012, when he was hired as an offensive assistant for the Miami Dolphins.
He was soon promoted to the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2013 and later as the tight ends coach in 2015. He was then promoted to assistant wide receivers coach in 2017 and again to head wide receivers coach the following season.
How Long Has Johnson Been the Offensive Coordinator for the Detroit Lions?
Johnson’s first job with Detroit came as an offensive quality control coach in 2019. From there, Johnson worked his way up the coaching ladder.
He became the tight ends coach in 2020, and in the same season, he was promoted to pass game coordinator after Anthony Lynn was relieved of his play-calling duties following a 0-8 start to the season.
READ MORE: List of Current NFL Offensive Coordinators
Finally, Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator in Feb. 2022. Johnson has remained the offensive coordinator in Detroit since, despite receiving large amounts of head coaching interest from around the league.
In 2023, Johnson led the Lions offense to a top-five offensive unit in the league, with eight games scoring over 30 points, a new single-season franchise record.
Despite being heavily recruited for a head coaching position with teams such as the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, Johnson has decided to stay with Detroit for the 2024 season.
Who Was the Offensive Coordinator Before Johnson?
Before Johnson stepped into the role, former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn held the reins to the Lions offense.
With Lynn in the saddle, the Lions record was 3-13-1, making Lynn the third-least successful offensive coordinator in the franchise’s history.
It’s easy to see that the Lions have themselves set up for a good future. Between the talented roster they’ve acquired and the bright coaching staff, the Lions look as good as ever to make a run to the Super Bowl.