We’re getting closer and closer to the NFL’s Black Monday. That’s the Monday after the final game of the year when a good amount of head coaches lose their jobs and the next head coaching search begins. The Detroit Lions are going to be mentioned a lot during that time because both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn are expected to get a lot of interviews and get hired as well.
There’s another coach on the Lions staff that has already got some attention recently and is expected to join the ranks of future head coaches relatively soon according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. He put out his annual list of rising coaches and he had Lions’ passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand on that list.
You might recognize that name as the guy that’s been pegged as the possible Ben Johnson replacement if Johnson takes a head coaching job somewhere, but he might be on his way out regardless of whether or not Johnson leaves. By the way, I still don’t think Johnson going anywhere this offseason.
Last offseason Engstrand got multiple interviews to be an offensive coordinator. He met with the Patriots, Seahawks and Buccaneers. He obviously did not get any of those jobs, but with the Lions offense being as hot as it’s been this year, there’s a lot of reasons to believe that more teams will come calling for him to interview.
Once he does his time as an OC and if that goes well, he is next in line to be a head coach. So this isn’t something that happens next year or anything like that, but he is one to keep an eye on and it’s clear the rest of the NFL is doing just that.