Chicago Bears Head Coach Candidate: Ben Johnson |
It's amazing—more so comical—that many of the young offensive-minded coaches being linked to the Bears right now were also linked to them last offseason for the OC opening. That job ultimately went to Shane Waldron, a colossal failure that shows that a head coach will only be as good as his assistants.
Here we are one year later, and a lot of these coaches are once again interviewing with the Bears, but this time, it's for an even bigger prize with the objective of one of them becoming the Head Coach. It's clear that the Bears made a massive mistake with the OC last season, and by firing Waldron midseason, they admitted that mistake without publically saying it. The same can be said about Matt Eberflus when he was fired, as that hire proved to be a massive miss for Ryan Poles, who is going to be under fire during this next head coaching cycle. Most GMs don't live to tell about two head coaching searches, so to have Poles not only be around to hire the next guy but still have a job after whiffing as badly as he did on Eberflus, he has to consider himself fortunate. You could make the case that his career with the Bears is on the line over the next several weeks, as his future depends on the next head coach. Poles knows he can't mess this up because if he does, that would be a wrap on his tenure in Chicago. Although Chicago is focussing more on a proven head coach than an unproven head coach, Ben Johnson is the one name that continues to circulate around Halas Hall as it appears to be Johnson or bust. When you think of the young offensive-minded geniuses in today's game, Sean McVay comes to mind. He was the first of this new wave of offensive coaches. Regarding the assistant coaches, Johnson is head over heels above the rest. He is what you call an offensive mastermind. Look at what he has done with the Detroit Lions over the past three seasons. Sure, much of his success falls on the players around him, but Johnson is still a significant reason why the offense has been as good as it has been. He is putting the game plan together, drawing up these plays, and calling the shots for the best offense. There is no question he is the offensive mind that the Bears are looking for, but the question about him or any other first-time head coach is, can they be the leader of men that this regime keeps talking about? There is no doubt that Chicago will target more of an offensive guy this time, especially when considering Caleb Williams' season and the weapons at his disposal. Chicago will have to figure out whether Johnson or any of these young offensive-minded guys are worth the shot if they prove not to be the team leader they are hoping for. For Chicago to turn around its franchise and be at the level of the rest of its division, it needs Williams to be the franchise quarterback they expect him to be, and it will take a great head coach to develop him enough to be at that level. Johnson would not only be the perfect candidate for Williams and the Bears but there are rumors that he wanted this job last season, so he held out until the opening became official. When you talk about a leader of men type of coach, Dan Campbell is the one that comes to mind, especially when you look at how he talks to his team. First-time coach or not, Johnson has been with Campbell every step of the way in Detroit and has been his right-hand for the past three seasons. You have to think he was able to pick up even a little something from Campbell that he can use to his advantage with the Bears. Anytime you can put up the offensive numbers that the Lions have the past three seasons, your name will be mentioned with virtually every job opening out there. While that hasn't been the case for Johnson, he has heard his name linked to and requested by enough teams that it is practically a forgone conclusion that he will lead his own team next season. Chicago hopes to be the team he chooses. They have the money to spend to improve the roster, a top-10 pick to land a potential franchise player, and a franchise-caliber quarterback with plenty of weapons. These are all things Johnson is looking to walk into when he does accept a position, as this seems like a match made in heaven.
