Getty Dan Campbell coaching the Lions during a 2021 game against Arizona.
The Detroit Lions are ready for the 2022 Senior Bowl coming next week, and as the staff gets geared up to coach the game from Mobile, Alabama, a very intriguing promotion has been handed out.
Coaching staffs were revealed for both teams, and the Lions saw running back coach and assistant head coach Duce Staley get the head coaching role for the American Team. On defense, possible rising star Aubrey Pleasant will be the defensive coordinator, and offensively, tight ends coach Ben Johnson will be calling the plays.
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All of this information was revealed on Friday, January 28 by the Senior Bowl, who officially put out the coaching assignments for the game. Jets tight end coach Ron Middleton will be the National Team’s head coach, while linebacker coach Mike Rutenberg will call the defense and quarterbacks coach Rob Calabrese will call offensive plays.
#Lions and #Jets Coaching Assignments!
For the 1st time at Senior Bowl, HCs will serve in an advisory capacity while promoting select assistants into leadership roles on the staff (e.g. RB coach to HC, DB coach to DC, etc). #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️
Link:t.co/spW728dgyK
“We as a staff are excited to hit the ground running at the Senior Bowl. This week will serve as a valuable experience for all of us to help lead our coaching staff alongside Coach Campbell as we get to know this talented group of young men. We are looking forward to a great week of football in Mobile,” Staley said in a statement posted by the Senior Bowl.
While this is great experience for both Staley as well as Pleasant, it’s notable to see Johnson getting coordinator duties for the game. The Lions have been rumored as potentially interested in keeping Johnson as the offensive coordinator in 2022
Senior Bowl Opportunity Speculated as Trial Run for Johnson
Johnson has been seen by insiders as the potential next man up in Detroit for offensive coordinator, and next weekend’s appointment could be seen as Johnson’s chance to impress his bosses for the full-time offensive coordinator role for the Lions. Chris Burke of The Athletic tweeted about the potential for this to be the case.
… no surprises there, but it could be another hint about the plans at OC moving forward.
No specific mention of Glenn from Holmes, but I’d imagine he will split some of the HC duties with Staley, unless his interview with the Saints cuts into his time in Mobile.
So far, there haven’t been any outside names rumored as options for the Lions, which means it’s likely to be an internal hire, either Johnson or Dan Campbell taking over the reigns full-time. That makes this weekend a very good experience for Johnson and the Lions as they try to figure out what to do at the position next.
Johnson’s Coaching Biography
If Johnson isn’t a name that is well-known for Lions fans, that is hardly a surprise. The tight ends coach has been in the background for a while now while putting together his career, but looking beyond that, nobody can deny the experience he has piled up thus far whatsoever. Johnson got his start in the league in 2012 with Miami as a offensive assistant after playing quarterback in college for North Carolina. During 2013-15 Johnson was Miami’s assistant quarterback coach. When 2015 came, he was promoted to tight ends coach during the season. From 2016-2017, Johnson was an assistant wideout coach where he helped Jarvis Landry become an elite wideout given 22 total scores in his career there. In 2018 before he departed, Albert Wilson was mentored for success as well with 4 touchdowns, which remains his career high.
Johnson joined the Lions in 2020 under Matt Patricia and immediately helped T.J. Hockenson with his development. This past season, he was given more influence over the team’s offense and helped Campbell with game planning and schematics. If he is the choice, he has seen plenty of offense in his time from tight end to wideout to playing quarterback himself.
All of this could culminate in a big promotion for Johnson when all is said and done in Detroit, and the first step toward that could indeed play out this weekend.