National Football League

Lions, Dan Campbell expect to lose both offensive and defensive coordinator

Published Jan. 20, 2025 11:57 a.m. ET

The Detroit Lions' upset defeat at the hands of the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs could be the first of a few big losses for the organization this week.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell is bracing for the departure of both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, presumably to head-coaching vacancies with other teams this offseason.

"I would expect to lose both," Campbell bluntly told reporters Monday. "I haven't been told anything, but I've got a feeling. I'm prepared to lose both."

Both Johnson and Glenn have been viewed as two of the top coaching commodities in the league this offseason. However, there was a wrinkle in their candidacies, as they could only meet with teams virtually before Saturday's game. With the loss to the Commanders, though, Johnson and Glenn can meet with teams face-to-face beginning Monday, allowing them to be potentially hired as head coaches in the coming days.

Johnson has interviewed virtually with the Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears for their head coach vacancies. He also interviewed with the New England Patriots, who hired Mike Vrabel.

Glenn has interviewed with the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Bears, Raiders and Jaguars.

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Both coordinators have been instrumental to the Lions' success over the last three seasons, in which their record steadily improved en route to accomplishing several firsts in franchise history. Detroit went 15-2 in the regular season, earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs for the first time.

Johnson, who was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022, has been credited for helping the Lions' offense become one of the best in the league, using an abundance of trick plays to find success. He has also been credited for helping revive quarterback Jared Goff's career, with the veteran finishing in the top five in most of the major passing stats again for a second straight season.

Campbell said he's "not gonna allow" Johnson's possible replacement to change the Lions' offensive scheme too much. "I'm gonna be involved no matter what because I think that's best for our offense, but also Goff," Campbell said. "This thing is set up for Goff to have success with our playmakers. … So I want to keep that in place. I want to keep our terminology in place, and I want to make sure Goff is comfortable because he's playing at a high level."

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Glenn, meanwhile, has been the Lions' defensive coordinator since Campbell was hired in 2021. He had a bit more of a difficult task this season, with his unit being particularly hit by the wave of injuries the Lions dealt with this season, including losing star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the majority of the season. Still, Glenn's unit showed out in the Lions' Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings, holding one of the league's best offenses to nine points in order to claim the NFC North crown for a second straight season.

In the locker room, Lions players are already preparing to wish both coordinators well at their next stops. "In this business, you gotta do what's best for you," cornerback Terrion Arnold recently told reporters of Glenn possibly leaving. "If he has the opportunity to go out there — a lot of things have opened up — I wish him nothing but the best.

"But I told him, 'If you take a job somewhere else and we play against you, we're gonna beat you.'"

However, there's also confidence that the Lions will be able to keep rolling without Johnson and Glenn.

"I just believe, at the end of the day, this league's all about players," center Frank Ragnow told reporters. "And the foundation that (general manager) Brad [Holmes] and Dan have set with the [cornerstone] players in this locker room, I think it's gonna be tough for us to do anything besides have success."

As for who could replace the two coordinators if they leave, Campbell said he believes the Lions have "got guys on staff that I think are more than qualified and would be outstanding in those roles." He specifically mentioned defensive line coach Terrell Williams as a possible candidate at defensive coordinator, but he also didn't rule out the possibility of an outside hire.

"We don't lose what we're about and our identity," Campbell said.

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