Outside-the-Box Candidate Who Could Become Lions' Offensive Coordinator
Could the Detroit Lions go outside the box for their next offensive coordinator?
If so, New Orleans Saints senior offensive assistant and wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson might just be the guy for the job.
Johnson has spent two stints and 11 seasons total (2006-11 and 2017-present) in New Orleans.
In between those two stints, he served as the head coach of Tulane from 2012-15 and as the wide receivers coach for the Chicago Bears for a lone season (2016). He accumulated a 15–34 overall record during his four seasons with the Green Wave.
During his 11 years with the Saints, the franchise has impressively featured a 1,000-yard wide receiver in eight of the seasons.
During that same time, New Orleans has made the playoffs eight times, plus has captured seven NFC South division crowns and a Super Bowl championship.
It's fair to say that while Johnson isn't exactly a household name, he's a pretty well-decorated NFL assistant. And most importantly, for the sake of his offensive coordinator candidacy with the Lions, he possesses ties to Detroit head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn from their days together in New Orleans.
© Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
If Johnson lands an interview with the organization for the OC gig, it could give him a major leg-up over the rest of the competition.
He could also be seen as a guy that could mentor Detroit's young receiving corps, which features up-and-coming wideouts Quintez Cephus and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Those factors make Johnson an attractive candidate and would seemingly bode well for him in the interview process.
However, it's also true that the 60-year-old has never been an offensive play-caller in his 35-plus years of coaching at both the collegiate and NFL levels. And undoubtedly, that diminishes the odds of Johnson landing the job in Motown.
Yet, he's still a plausible candidate for the opening. And, if he lands an interview and nails it, he could just end up being the Lions' next offensive coordinator.
- Subscribe to the AllLions podcast on iTunes
- Like and follow AllLions on Facebook
- Follow us on Twitter: @detroitpodcast @vitojerome @llamorandier @danielkellybook @CBooher_
- Follow Detroit Sports Podcast on Instagram: @detroitsports_podcast
Become a premium AllLions member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and gets you a FREE subscription to Sports Illustrated! Click on the link below for more.
