The Las Vegas Raiders could go in a number of directions for their next head coach but the early favorite from their end appears to be Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. However, he’s widely sought after by many teams and could have his pick of a few jobs.
He’s not allowed to interview with teams in person until the Lions’ season is over unless the team makes the Super Bowl. In that scenario, he could interview during the bye week leading up to the game. That said, he has done a number of virtual interviews, including one with the Raiders. He didn’t want to give too many details about where his head is at but did give a bit of insight into how the process is going.
“I’m going to stay focused on the main thing right here, and that’s going to be the Washington Commanders,” Johnson said during his Jan. 15 press conference. “That’s what we’re about. [Dan Campbell] asked me about how it went this weekend. It went great, and that’s the end of it. The focus right here and now for the players, for the coaching staff and for everybody in this building is about this game this week.”
Johnson likely could’ve gotten a head coaching job last but decided to stay in Detroit. This year, he’s made sure that he’s more prepared for the possibility that he could be a head coach.
“This go-around, I’ve been a lot more prepared for the types of questions that they’ve been asking,” Johnson said. “I’ve also changed my frame of mind a little bit. Instead of worrying solely about the offense … I’ve been able to have offseasons and summers to think about big-picture view of what a program would look like. In that way, I’m a lot more prepared for the questions that come my way and I’m much more comfortable answering them.”
Momentum Building for Raiders to Land Johnson
At the start of the offseason, not many expected that the Raiders would even be able to land an interview with Johnson. In just a couple of weeks, Las Vegas is now among the favorites to hire the head coach.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, there is “momentum building” that Johnson will take the job. A lot can still happen in the coming weeks, especially since Johnson is committed to the Lions right now. That said, the Raiders are likely willing to wait if they have a chance to land the up-and-coming coach.
Johnson Talks First Time Meeting Tom Brady
The main reason the Raiders were even able to get Johnson on the phone is thanks to new minority owner Tom Brady. The legendary quarterback is the one who convinced Johnson to take the interview.
However, they don’t have much of a prior relationship. According to the coach, he met Brady for the first time this season.
“I know nothing of that nature,” Johnson said. “I met him at the Packers game on the field. I saw him on the field for a second. That’s the first time I’ve ever met him. That’s it.”
Brady is also calling Johnson’s playoff game this week so it’ll be interesting to see if there’s any updates to come out of that.
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Ben Johnson Sends Message on Job Search Amid Raiders ‘Momentum Building’