Dan Campbell Not Focused on Potential of Both Coordinators Leaving
The byproduct of success in the NFL is other organizations begin to poach talented coordinators and assistant coaches.
Following the conclusion of each season, the turnover rate is quite high.
Teams sometimes do not allow a newly hired coach to last for more than one entire season.
With the Lions starting the season with a 4-1 record, both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will be targeted to potentially become head coaches, as soon as the 2024 season.
Dan Campbell was asked prior to practice Wednesday about the growing buzz regarding his coordinators.
"I haven't gone there yet, with that in this moment. I've thought about that before. I mean, I thought I was gonna lose A.G. twice and then Ben last year once," Campbell expressed. "But that was certainly at the end of the year. I haven't gone there in that moment, but all I can tell you is that they're both very vital to us and our success and everything, to me, that we've built, and that I've envisioned, to players to coaches. Everybody's got a piece. Everybody's got a piece, everybody's got a job to do and you want them to be the very best at what they're asked to do. I feel like we have that. So when you don't have that, you've got to find the right guy that you put in those places when the time comes."
Part of the reason the team has been able to have success over the stretch of 15 games is consistency at both coordinator positions and players buying-in to the philosophies of a regime that is filled with former NFL players.
“They’re outstanding coaches and candidates," said Campbell. "We’ve got a good program going here, I’m not putting that on me. We’re doing some good stuff here and everybody’s got a hand in it.”
Scottie Montgomery has aspirations to call plays, but focused on Buccaneers
Scottie Montgomery replaced Duce Staley as the Lions' assistant head coach and running backs coach prior to the 2023 campaign. As he entered his new role, he brought a vast array of experience.
In his past, Montgomery has been a collegiate head coach and offensive coordinator. He held those roles at East Carolina and Maryland, respectively.
Though he's not donning the play-calling duties in Motown, he has aspirations to return to that role in the future. Working with Johnson has offered a mutually beneficial relationship as Montgomery has paired with one of football's brightest offensive minds.
“I think it’s fantastic, Ben is very sharp. He leans on his people, meaning he gives us responsibilities and he trusts us," Montgomery said. "That’s something you can always, when you do build the trust between one another, which we have a lot of trust between one another, it goes both ways. You know that what you’re bringing him is great work, he knows you’re bringing him great work, it allows us to move quickly through the whole process of that. We’re in Week 6, I slept three hours last night, you think I have time to think about anything other than getting these guys lined up? No. Do I have aspirations? Of course, I’m not gonna run from that. This is the real world. But right now, in the season, if you’re thinking about that, the team you’re about to play against is gonna expose you and you won’t have to think about that.”
