Colts' 2023 Head Coach Candidate: Ben Johnson
The Indianapolis Colts enter the 2023 NFL offseason in need of a new head coach. Former Head Coach Frank Reich did an admirable job in his 4.5 years with the team, leading the Colts to a 40-33-1 record despite having to work with a new starting quarterback every season.
Ultimately, it came time to move on from Reich as the team stagnated and hit a wall under the him in recent seasons. While the Colts may not be the greatest destination across the league, they should be able to generate a decent amount of interest for one of the 32 most coveted positions in the sport.
In this series, I will dive into a handful of the coaching candidates that the Colts could/should interview during their search and break down their background/qualifications for the job. Next up, is Detroit Lions' Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson.
Background in the Football
Ben Johnson doesn't have the football playing pedigree as some other candidates in this series. He was a walk-on quarterback at the University of North Carolina from 2004-2007. He graduated with a degree in mathematics and computer science without ever playing a snap in college.
Coaching Qualifications
Ben Johnson got his start in coaching as a grad assistant at Boston College University back in 2009. He was later promoted to TE Coach in 2011 before leaving the program for the NFL in 2012.
Johnson made his jump to the league working under Miami Dolphins' Head Coach Joe Philbin. He started as an offensive assistant in 2012 but moved up to assistant QB coach the following season. He served in that role for the team from 2013 up until 2015.
When Philbin was let go in 2015, Interim Head Coach Dan Campbell promoted Johnson to TE Coach. Campbell was replaced by Adam Gase after the season, and Gase elected to keep Johnson as part of his staff. Johnson moved over to assistant wide receivers coach from 2016 to 2017 and became the main WR coach in 2018.
Following Gase's firing in 2018, Johnson left for Detroit to work under Matt Patricia as an offensive quality control coach. When Patricia was fired prior to the 2021 season, Johnson's old friend Dan Campbell elected to keep him on staff as the TE coach.
With a vacancy opened up at offensive coordinator prior to the 2022 season, Campbell opted to go with the young Ben Johnson for the role. Despite his inexperience, Johnson managed to run one of the league's most efficient and effective offenses.
In 2021, the Lions were 21st in total offense, 18th in passing yards, and 24th in points per game. In 2022 under Johnson, the Lions improved to 3rd in total offense, 6th in passing yards, and 5th in points per game. That is a massive turnaround for a first time play caller in the NFL.
Potential Staff Connections
Johnson has only been around the NFL since 2012, so his connections are fairly thin compared to other candidates in this series. Still, here are a few that could make sense for him. The * marks coaches that he'd likely look to bring with him as coordinators.
Offensive Coordinator
Jeff Nixon, Carolina Panthers Assistant Head Coach: Running backs coach with Miami Dolphins from 2011-2015.
Bill Lazor, Former Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator: Offensive Coordinator with Miami Dolphins from 2014-2015.
Bo Hardegree, Las Vegas Raiders QB Coach: QB Coach with Miami Dolphins from 2016-2018.
Shawn Jefferson, Arizona Cardinals AHC and WR Coach : WR Coach with Miami Dolphins from 2016-2018.
Shane Day*, Los Angeles Chargers QB Coach: TE Coach with Miami Dolphins from 2016-2018.
Tanner Engstrand*, Detroit Lions TE Coach: Currently working alongside Johnson with the Lions.
Defensive Coordinator
Kacy Rodgers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers DL Coach: DL Coach with Miami Dolphins from 2008-2014.
Daronte Jones, Minnesota Vikings DB Coach: Assistant DB Coach with Miami Dolphins from 2016-2017.
Matt Burke*, Arizona Cardinals DL Coach: Defensive Coordinator with the Miami Dolphins from 2017-2018.
Cory Undlin*, San Francisco 49ers Secondary Coach: Defensive Coordinator with the Detroit Lions in 2020.
Todd Wash*, Detroit Lions DL Coach: Currently working alongside Johnson with the Lions.
The Bottom Line
Ben Johnson is a young and inexperienced head coach candidate that has sky high potential. In his first year as a play caller, he turned the Detroit Lions into one of the more innovative and detailed offenses in the league. For a Colts' team that will be taking a quarterback high in this draft, that is music to their ears.
Johnson should be the top candidate for the Colts in this cycle. If they truly want to turn this thing around, Ben Johnson is the hire they need to make.
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