Lions News

[ghandi]

I’d be interested in a more “boring” offensive coordinator after that one.

I'm sure Anthony Lynn is available......

[mason reese]

I'm sure Anthony Lynn is available......

Isn’t he on the Washington staff?

[whatever_gong82]

Exploring more than a dozen internal and external candidates to be Detroit Lions' next offensive coordinator

Justin Rogers
Jan 20



Allen Park — Ben Johnson stayed in Detroit a year longer than many expected, but his highly successful tenure as the Lions offensive coordinator ended on Monday when he accepted an offer to become the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.

That creates a critical vacancy for the Lions to fill. Coach Dan Campbell must find someone to take the helm of the league’s top offense and a unit that finished top five in scoring each of the past three seasons.

Let’s consider some of the best available candidates, listed in alphabetical order.

The internal options

Quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell

After an 18-year playing career, Brunell retired and coached several years at the high school level, leading the Episcopal School of Jacksonville program to a trio of playoff appearances and the school’s first playoff victory.

Brunell joined the Lions as part of Campbell’s inaugural staff and has worked closely with quarterback Jared Goff, helping the veteran to the best statistical production of his nine-year career in 2024.


Passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand

Engstand’s path through Detroit’s coaching ranks mirrors Johnson’s rise in many ways. Initially hired as a quality control coach by Matt Patricia, Engstrand stayed on staff through the transition to Campbell, briefly backfilling Johnson’s role as tight ends coach in 2022 after he was promoted to offensive coordinator. Engstrand has been serving as the team’s passing game coordinator for the past two seasons.

Before coming to Detroit, the former college quarterback worked his way up from graduate assistant under Jim Harbaugh to offensive coordinator at the University of San Diego. He also served as an analyst for Harbaugh at the University of Michigan and an offensive coordinator for the DC Defenders of the XFL.

Engstrand interviewed for offensive coordinator openings with Tampa Bay and New England last offseason.


Offensive line coach Hank Fraley

A longtime starting center in the NFL, Fraley started his coaching career as Engstrand’s offensive line coach at the University of San Diego. From there, he went to San Jose State, the Minnesota Vikings and UCLA before joining the Lions as an assistant offensive line coach alongside Jeff Davidson in 2018.

Fraley took over the room in 2020 and has been consistently and strongly supported by the team’s players. Taylor Decker advocated for Fraley to remain on staff following the hiring of Campbell. This week, All-Pros Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell pleaded with the organization to retain Fraley after he interviewed for the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator opening.

In Detroit, Fraley has led a group routinely viewed as one of the league’s dominant offensive lines, producing some of the best rushing production since the retirement of Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, while protecting Goff as part of two Pro Bowl seasons for the QB.


Running backs and assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery

Campbell’s assistant head coach and leader of Detroit’s running back room the past two seasons, Montgomery has an extensive resume that includes serving as the head coach of East Carolina and offensive coordinator at the University of Maryland in the past decade.

A former wide receiver who briefly played in the NFL with the Panthers and Broncos, Montgomery has coached multiple positions, including receivers, running backs and quarterbacks. He coached receivers for three years under Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, including the team’s Super Bowl appearance in 2010.

In Detroit, Montgomery has overseen the backfield tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, who have delivered some of the best production of any duo in NFL history.


Wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El

A former Super Bowl winner with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the college quarterback turned pro receiver has worked with some outstanding talent as a position coach. In Tampa Bay, he led a room with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Then, in Detroit, Randel El has overseen the development of Amon-Ra St. Brown from fourth-round draft pick into a two-time All-Pro, as well as Jameson Williams into a 1,000-yard receiver.

Randel El interviewed for the Buccaneers coordinator job last offseason.

External candidates

Los Angeles Rams Tight ends coach/pass game coordinator Nick Caley

Out of the coaching cradle known as John Carrol, Caley spent a decade in the college ranks before spending eight years working for Bill Belichick in New England. That included coaching tight end Rob Gronkowski.

After he was passed over for the coordinator job in 2023, Caley jumped to the Rams, where he’s serving a dual role for Sean McVay. The Patriots reportedly tried to lure Caley back as an OC this year, but he rebuffed their interest.


Buffalo Bills QB coach Ronald Curry

When considering past connections to Campbell, the former Lions receiver worked on the New Orleans Saints staff for six seasons, starting in 2018. Initially the team's receiver coach, he advanced to leading the quarterbacks and eventually served as the franchise's passing game coordinator.

This season, Curry has coached Josh Allen in Buffalo, helping the quarterback to an MVP-caliber season, highlighted by a sharp reduction in interceptions. Allen threw a personal-low six picks to go with 28 touchdowns, resulting in a career-high 77.3 QBR, earning the Buffalo passer second-team All-Pro honors.


Houston Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson

Johnson quarterbacked at Campbell’s alma mater, Texas A&M, before a journeyman’s career between the UFL, CFL and NFL.

Entering the coaching ranks in 2017, Johnson started as an intern for Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers, had pitstops in Indianapolis and Minnesota, and served as an assistant QB coach with the latter before joining Houston’s staff in 2023.

With the Texans, Johnson has helped with C.J. Stroud’s rapid acclimation as a first-round draft pick in 2023, resulting in two playoff berths and a 43-to-17 touchdown-to-interception rating across two seasons.


New Orleans Saints OC Klint Kubiak

Interviewing or hiring Kubiak would require permission from the Saints, at least until they hire their next head coach and decide whether to retain the son of former Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak.

A college safety, Kubiak started coaching at Texas A&M in 2010, where he undoubtedly ran into Campbell, who spent a few weeks with the program while exploring his own interest in coaching.

Kubiak entered the NFL in 2013 and has spent time with the Vikings, Broncos, 49ers and Saints. He was San Francisco’s passing game coordinator in 2023, overlapping with the rapid rise of rookie QB Brock Purdy. Kubiak also had moderate success with the Vikings and QB Kirk Cousins as the team’s offensive coordinator in 20,21 when the team averaged 25.0 points per game.


Cincinnati Bengals QB coach Brad Kragthorpe

A young assistant on the rise, Kragthorpe was an offensive analyst at LSU when Joe Burrow transferred to the school, reconnecting with the QB in Cincinnati a few years later.

Kragthorpe has gone from assistant receivers coach to assistant quarterback coach to lead the position group. Not coincidentally, Burrow delivered his best season in 2024, posting a QB rating of 108.5 with career-bests in completion percentage, yardage and touchdowns.

Kragthorpe’s father, Steve, was the quarterback coach and offensive coordinator at Texas A&M when Campbell played for the school.


Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC Byron Leftwich

Leftwich's playing career had him overlap with Brunnel in Jacksonville and Randle El in Pittsburgh. After a decade as a player, Leftwich turned to coaching, where he worked under Bruce Arians, first in Arizona as a quarterbacks coach and later in Tampa as the offensive coordinator.

Leftwich earned Super Bowl rings as both a player and coach. The latter came with the Buccaneers in 2021. With Tom Brady at quarterback, Leftwich's offenses averaged better than 30 points per game in 2020 and 2021. The team finished in the top two in passing yards each of his four seasons with the Buccaneers


Minnesota Vikings QB coach Josh McCown

A Texas native and longtime NFL quarterback, McCown started 76 games across 18 seasons. You might also remember his brief stint in Detroit, where offensive coordinator Mike Martz had the athletic passer playing some receiver.

McCown has minimal coaching experience — just two seasons — which likely puts him a couple years away from drawing more serious consideration for a coordinator job. Still, his work with Sam Darnold as the Vikings QB coach this past season bolsters the resume. So does McCown's time working under Frank Reich and Kevin O’Connell, two successful head coaches who have gotten more out of less than many of their peers.


Philadelphia Eagles pass game coordinator Kevin Patullo

A former college quarterback and receiver, Patullo has bounced around the league for nearly two decades, starting with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007 as a quality control coach.

Patullo has served as a quarterbacks coach under Todd Bowles, a receivers coach and a passing game specialist under Reich. Patullo has been with the Eagles since 2021, earning a promotion to assistant head coach in 2023.

The Eagles have averaged better than 25 points per game each of the past four seasons. Patullo certainly understands the value of offensive balance, particularly after seeing the unit's success with Saquon Barkley in 2024.


Former Colts/Panthers head coach Frank Reich

Reich has been out of football since being fired mid-season by the Panthers in 2023. Before that bottoming out, he posted a winning record across five seasons in Indianapolis.

The Lions and Colts conducted joint practices in Indianapolis a couple of years back. Campbell and Reich appeared to have good chemistry during those sessions.

Before earning a head coaching opportunity, Reich was a successful coordinator with the Eagles, getting the best out of Carson Wentz and helping backup Nick Foles lead the team to a Super Bowl championship. His success with those pocket passers could translate well to working with Goff.


Los Angeles Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase

Scheelhaase is another up-and-coming coach and a newer branch off McVay’s coaching tree. Scheelhaase played quarterback at the University of Illinois and started his coaching career at the school in 2015.

He eventually took a job at Iowa State and worked with the running backs and wide receivers for coach Matt Campbell before a promotion to run game coordinator in 2020 and a bump to offensive coordinator in 2023.

While at the school, Scheelhaase worked with future NFL talent such as Breece Hall, Brock Purdy and Lions running back David Montgomery.

Scheelhaase joined the Rams last season as a pass-game specialist.


Denver Broncos quarterback coach Davis Webb

Webb turns 30 this week — making him younger than Goff — and the assistant has just two years of coaching experience after hanging up the cleats. Still, it says something that Campbell’s mentor, Sean Payton, trusted the former third-round pick to oversee the development of rookie Bo Nix this season.

And the results speak for themselves. Nix delivered a stellar showing for a rookie, completing better than 66% of his throws with 29 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, leading the Broncos to a postseason berth.



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

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Bluesky: Justin-Rogers

[-Deborah-]

I guess I'm the only one who is seething over Ben Johnson going to a division rival and interviewing for it during the Lions' playoff run?! It's a distraction and conflict of interest.

[froot loops]

Until the league changes the rules, that's the way it is. Previously, some well deserving candidates were passed over because they couldn't interview because their teams were in the playoffs and potential teams moved on. I don't think there is a good answer to this issue but if you are a successful franchise, this is part of the deal. For us Lion fans it is unfamiliar terrain.

The Lions have planned for it and they have Goff, it is more Goff than any OC in my opinion.

[Mainevent]

The offense is also a lot more DC than most people outside realize. He and Johnson put that stuff together.

[Sanders Fan]

I guess I'm the only one who is seething over Ben Johnson going to a division rival and interviewing for it during the Lions' playoff run?! It's a distraction and conflict of interest.

He was probably also spending time calling his buddies and and asking them to join his staff because he knew he was going to get the job.

[froot loops]

In my opinion losing Fraley might be the harder loss on offense. Offensive line coaches are very important and there aren't a lot of good ones

[Mainevent]

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/report-jets-target-aaron-glenn-as-next-coach

[NewOrleansLion]

I guess I'm the only one who is seething over Ben Johnson going to a division rival and interviewing for it during the Lions' playoff run?! It's a distraction and conflict of interest.

I hate that he’s in Chicago, but I don’t see a conflict of interest. If anything, the Lions losing and getting a higher draft position is worse for the Bears.

The head coaching graveyard is chock full of guys who were great coordinators. How he does in Chicago is a coin flip.

[-Deborah-]

If you feel that Ben Johnson did his best Saturday and put forth his best game plan, despite having a foot out the door for a division rival...I disagree. And even if I'm off base here, why even have the possibility of distraction or conflict? I know it may eliminate some coordinators from being considered by some teams, but I don't have a lot of sympathy for that. Their career trajectory should not take precedence over the team's playoff run.

[Mainevent]

The Lions had over 500 yards, averaged nearly 8 yards per play and had a success rate of over 60%. There were 2/3 high leverage plays where they called a bad play and paid a big price with a turnover. But that's a lot of the same shit they've done all year, being aggressive, looking for explosive plays and not just stuffing it in the RB belly all game.

If you're going to blame Ben Johnson for not being focused and a poor gameplan, then Dan Campbell shares in that blame too as he's intricately involved in the gameplans. And he wasn't interviewing for other jobs.

[gibby]

Whelp, there's always next lifetime.


I have a feeling that this was a one off year and we'll be back to SOL soon enough.

[chemiclord]

I mean, I can say (and be right) that the trick play pass to JaMo was in both foresight and hindsight a terrible call. That doesn't mean he was distracted by the interview process or assembling his staff. Just means he made a dumb play call. Shit happens.

[chemiclord]

Whelp, there's always next lifetime.


I have a feeling that this was a one off year and we'll be back to SOL soon enough.

This is just straight doomerism talking. They have an exceptional (and young) core of players locked up for a long time. They have a GM who has been making savvy moves every offseason. The idea that they'll be dropping off into SOL anytime soon is thinking emotionally not rationally. They're probably not going 15-2 next year... but they probably aren't going to be running a practice squad preseason defense into the playoffs, either.