For the second coaching carousel cycle in a row, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the hottest name on the market. Every team with an opening has expressed very strong interest in hiring Johnson.
Yet even Johnson points to his Detroit defensive counterpart, Aaron Glenn, as a better candidate to become a head coach. Glenn is also getting a lot of buzz from teams looking for a new head coach, notably the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints.
“I think I told you guys this last year, he is beyond qualified right now,” Johnson said prior to Wednesday’s practice in Allen Park. “You hear all of our players singing his praises right now, and that’s exactly what I would do. I would second that. He is more prepared to be a head coach than maybe anybody I’ve ever met. He wants that, and I think he’d do a phenomenal job in charge.”
Glenn has been instrumental in Detroit’s rise up the defensive ranks despite an injury-ravaged roster that has a capable starting 11 on the injured reserve. Beyond the defensive schematics, Glenn’s leadership style and ability to connect with players stand out to Johnson.
That personable style and genuineness is obvious with Glenn in observing him with his players. He’s tough but fair, respectful but stern. That’s who he is and how Glenn himself views his coaching approach.
“The one thing that I get out of all these interviews is, man, I’m going to be myself,” Glenn told reporters on Wednesday. “Either you’ll like it or you don’t. If you don’t, all good. I keep telling you guys: I have a great job here. And if you like it — if it’s an opportunity I think that’s best for me and my family — then we’ll take a look at it.”
Glenn and Johnson go about it divergently, but each has very strong appeal to prospective new teams.