Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is focused on the here and now, but there’s a burning desire inside to be an NFL head coach.
The Detroit Lions have the No. 1 scoring offense in football through 15 weeks, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson continues to be a hot name for potential head coaching jobs available in 2025.
During his weekly press conference, Johnson was asked for the first time this season about becoming a head coach, and he reiterated his desire to eventually take that leap.
“I think there’s a burning desire in every man to find what he’s made out of, push the limits, and see if he’s got what it takes,” Johnson said. “So, yeah, there’s a fire there. When that time is, I don’t know when that would be, but there’s certainly a fire there.”
Johnson has taken several interviews over the past two years for head coaching jobs. But last year after the team’s NFC Championship loss to the 49ers, he opted to return to Detroit for some unfinished business. In his first press conference after making that decision, he explained why he’s been so selective in his process so far.
“If I get the opportunity to go down that road, it’s about how do I get to that second contract? How do I set myself up that the stars need to align?” Johnson said back in May. “I’m not going to do it just to do it. I love what I’m doing right now. Love it. I love where I’m at, my family loves where we’re at, I love the people that we’re doing it with, and so I’m not willing to go down the other path yet unless I feel really good about how it’s going to unfold.”
Now that he’s been through the interview process for a couple of years now, he knows how to prepare and compartmentalize during this part of the season. Yes, there are likely interviews ahead, but he owes it to the Lions to focus on what’s right in front of him.
“Now that I’ve been through the wringer a couple times, had some interviews, I certain do feel more prepared, just from a big-picture standpoint,” Johnson said. “But right now, we’ve got three games left in the regular season, going into the postseason, and, honestly, this is why I’m here. This is why I wanted to be here.
“I have an obligation to people in the building to be right where my feet are. And when I walk in and I see the coaches staying long nights and working as hard as they’re doing, and I come in and I see the guys, the players in the meeting rooms and on the practice field attacking each day like they are, it’s hard for my mind to wander much beyond what we’re doing in the year now.”
