Jaguars 2025 head coach candidate profile: Lions OC Ben Johnson

For the third time in 5 years, the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking for a brand new head coach.

Massive Cat Nation’s Jaguars head coach hiring course of tracker is continually being up to date — however to supply extra data on the highest candidates being interviewed, we’ll be releasing in-depth profiles all through the search.

First up: Ben Johnson, who has a digital interview with Jacksonville scheduled for Saturday.

Photograph by Mike Mulholland/Getty Photographs

Expertise

Johnson was a walk-on quarterback at North Carolina, the place he graduated with levels in arithmetic and pc science in 2008. He was employed as a graduate assistant at Boston Faculty the next 12 months and was promoted to tight ends coach the 12 months after.

The previous Tar Heel made it to the NFL in 2012 when he was employed as an offensive assistant with the Dolphins. Johnson served in numerous assistant coach roles in Miami till 2019 when he was employed in Detroit.

After starting as an offensive high quality management coach, Johnson was promoted to tight ends coach in 2020, then passing sport coordinator in 2021, then offensive coordinator in 2022.

Since then, no offense has scored extra factors or gained extra yards than Johnson’s Lions.

Efficiency

2024 Lions offense

Factors per sport: 33.2 (1st)
First downs per sport: 24.1 (1st)
Yards per sport: 409.5 (2nd)
Yards per play: 6.2 (2nd)
EPA per play: 0.155 (third)
Success fee: 49.6% (1st)

Passing offense

Whole touchdowns: 39 (4th)
First downs per sport: 14.2 (2nd)
Yards per sport: 263.2 (2nd)
Yards per try: 8.6 (2nd)
EPA per play: 0.267 (third)
Success fee: 53.6% (1st)

Dashing offense

Whole touchdowns: 29 (2nd)
First downs per sport: 8.5 (4th)
Yards per sport: 146.4 (sixth)
Yards per try: 4.7 (sixth)
EPA per play: 0.021 (fifth)
Success fee: 44.8% (4th)

Situational offense

Early down EPA per play: 0.101 (third)
Early down success fee: 49.1% (1st)
Late down EPA per play: 0.351 (third)
Late down success fee: 51.4% (fifth)
Landing fee within the crimson zone: 69.4% (third)

Quotes

How Ben Johnson Fastened Jared Goff and Grew to become the Subsequent Massive Factor in NFL Teaching

From Ben Solak for The Ringer (August 2023)

Johnson is aware of that particulars make or break offenses on this league, not due to those he’s seen made, however due to those he’s seen damaged—from the seven disappointing years in Miami with totally different programs to Goff’s first 12 months in Detroit. “I’ve seen it fail a lot,” Johnson says. “I’ve tried to avoid any of the pitfalls I’ve seen in my coaching career. From the communication standpoint, the rest of the coaches understand exactly what we’re trying to do. And they’re able to get that to the players.”

Unraveling the various influences on Ben Johnson and the Detroit Lions’ offensive scheme

With the Dolphins, Johnson crossed paths with the likes of Al Saunders, Mike Martz, Invoice Lazor, Adam Gase, Mike Sherman, Clyde Christensen and Zac Taylor. That’s a staggering effectively of expertise throughout an expanse of schematic backgrounds. … And Johnson readily took one thing from all of them. Sherman hammered dwelling the worth of tempo with a no-huddle element to his offense, whereas Lazor and Christensen refined Johnson’s worth on particulars. … Lastly, from Gase, Johnson developed a greater understanding of sport planning, significantly assault an opponent’s weak spot, which was the coach’s specialty.

The rise of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson

From Eric Woodyard for ESPN (Sept. 2023)

“The way he’s explaining the plays, the way he’s detailed with how we’ve got to run these routes in the red zone, I just knew the way he was talking to us, it just felt different,” St. Brown recalled. “I told one of my teammates, I forgot who it was, I was like, ‘Bro, when Ben gets up there, he knows exactly what he’s talking about, he’s telling us what he sees in this play, what he wants us to do. There’s no gray area. It’s super detailed.’”

Why Ben Johnson is atop the teaching want listing

From Tyler Dunne for Go Lengthy (Jan. 2024)

“A gifted communicator,” Blough says. “His whole career has just been founded in hard work where he’s been the grinder just his whole time and he’s not afraid to be creative. So he maximizes his guys’ skill-sets and then allows them to go and play fast because of the way he communicates the details. His gift is definitely communicating details.”

Head Coach Candidate Profile: Ben Johnson

From Mark Bullock for Bullock’s Movie Room (Jan. 2024)

One other factor that stood out to me with Johnson was how he designed packages of performs particular to the ability units of his particular person gamers. One instance of this could be with receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown is a really shifty receiver with nice route operating capability as he could make sharp and swift cuts out and in of his breaks. This makes him an enormous risk outdoors but additionally within the slot or in condensed formations the place he has area to work outdoors or over the center. Johnson has doe a terrific job making use of that expertise, designing packages of performs particularly for St. Brown.

Who Are the Finest Up-and-Coming NFL Head Teaching Candidates?

From Diante Lee for The Ringer (Nov. 2024)

As a result of this offense can bend defenses to its will within the run sport, Johnson’s early-down play-action calls within the passing sport typically appear to be simple cash. However his play designs are pretty much as good as any you’ll see on tape every week. The Lions are sixth in anticipated factors added on first-down passes and first in play-action throws.

2025 NFL Coach Carousel: The Ben Johnson Sweepstakes Is About to Start

From Conor Orr for Sports activities Illustrated (Jan. 2025)

For individuals who continually ask why we hear a lot about Johnson, the reason being that he’s adequate to fully maintain up the hiring course of and, concurrently, adequate to name the Lions all the best way to the Tremendous Bowl. He’s safe sufficient to know that he doesn’t should succumb to stress and take a job. He’s sufficient of a curiosity that at the least one, however probably extra groups, will complicate the method to see whether or not they can lure him in.

Obvious pluses

As Lee detailed, Johnson’s defining teaching attribute is popping first downs into extra first downs. Detroit averaged the fewest yards-to-go on third down of any offense this 12 months as a result of they dominated on early downs. Solely 4 different groups in league historical past had extra first downs than the 2024 Lions — fairly attractive for a fanbase with a “Move those chains!” chant.
Johnson is all concerning the particulars. The quotes part ought to’ve made that clear however it’s additionally evident on tape. The very fact he cannot simply design, however educate the small nuances of a number of schemes he wasn’t raised in is spectacular. His trick performs stand out not simply because they’re enjoyable however as a result of they appear really easy. In the meantime, it felt just like the Jaguars had extra turnovers than first downs every time they acquired cute with play designs underneath Doug Pederson.
Jared Goff was an afterthought within the 2021 commerce that noticed Matthew Stafford depart Detroit. Nevertheless, no different quarterback has thrown for extra yards or touchdowns since Johnson turned playcaller in 2022. Goff at present ranks fifth in MVP voting, and his profession revival is arguably the most important optimistic on Johnson’s resume.
Johnson (39 in Could) can be among the many NFL’s youngest coaches as soon as employed. That’s excellent contemplating Jacksonville’s long-term outlook with 25-year-old Trevor Lawrence and 22-year-old Brian Thomas Jr.

Lingering questions

Is Johnson head coach materials? His continued success in Detroit (and continued recognition as a candidate) suggests Johnson is prepared for his shot. Nonetheless, not each coach is minimize out to be the chief chief of knowledgeable staff, and he’s by no means been a head coach at any stage. Johnson should show himself, even when there’s little proof to counsel he’ll fail.
Can Johnson lead a locker room? This query falls underneath the bucket of “Is he head coach material?” which incorporates managing workers hires, in-game selections, media requests, and so forth. — one other duty is establishing and sustaining a tradition. Johnson should show he can captivate each participant and coach within the group, not simply the fellows he’s calling performs for.
How a lot of his success is as a result of offensive line? Detroit has boasted an elite unit up entrance since Johnson was promoted as coordinator. He isn’t being carried by the offensive line, however it definitely helps to have one, particularly in his scheme that begins with a various run sport. Johnson has elevated his playmakers as a lot as the opposite approach round, although.
Would Johnson be keen to work with Trent Baalke? A number of nationwide reporters have voiced issues over the attractiveness of Jacksonville’s head coach opening with Baalke nonetheless on the town. There have been a variety of rumors flying round, however one factor that’s identified is that Baalke will not be extensively revered across the league. Johnson declining the job due to Shad Khan’s worry of a contemporary begin would definitely be one thing.