Ben Johnson will reportedly interview for Patriots head coaching job on Friday
FOXBORO -- The New England Patriots will interview Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for their head coaching vacancy on Friday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The interview will be done virtually since Johnson and the Lions are in the playoffs, with the NFC's No. 1 seed enjoying a hard-earned postseason bye week.
Johnson can't interview with teams in person until the Lions' season ends. He'll also chat with the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, and then with the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, according to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports.
His interview with the Patriots will come one day after the Patriots interview Mike Vrabel for the position on Thursday. Vrabel is considered the favorite to land the job, but Johnson would certainly be an intriguing candidate for a New England team that could use a massive revamp on offense. Johnson could also do wonders for Drake Maye, who will be coming off a solid rookie season for the Patriots.
New England also interviewed former offensive coordinators Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton on Tuesday. The Patriots looking for their third new head coach in as many years after firing Jerod Mayo following a 4-13 season.
Ben Johnson with the Detroit Lions
Johnson became the offensive coordinator in Detroit in 2022, and the Lions have become one of the NFL's best offenses under his watch. Detroit led the NFL at 33.2 points per game this season, and have had a top-five scoring offense in all three seasons with Johnson as its offensive coordinator. The 38-year-old has been credited with helping Jared Goff resurrect his career with Detroit, and is considered one of the elite offensive play-callers in the league.
Johnson has been with the Lions since 2019, starting as an offensive quality control coach under head coach Matt Patricia. He was promoted to the team's tight ends coach in 2020, and remained on the staff when Patricia was fired and Dan Campbell was brought in. In addition to being Detroit's tight ends coach in 2021, Johnson also served as the team's pass game coordinator.
Ben Johnson's coaching career
Johnson's coaching career actually stared in New England, when he was a graduate assistant at Boston College in 2009 under then-head coach Frank Spaziani. He broke into the NFL in 2012 as an offensive assistant for the Miami Dolphins under Joe Philbin, and also served as Miami's assistant quarterbacks coach, tight ends coach, and wide receivers coach before he made the move to Detroit.
A quarterback in high school in North Carolina, Johnson was a walk-on at UNC, where he graduated from in 2008 with degrees in Mathematics and computer science.
