(670 The Score) With the Lions having a first-round bye in the playoffs as the NFC’s top seed, the Bears got a chance Saturday to learn more about one of the top coaching candidates on the market.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson conducted a virtual interview with the Bears, the team announced after the completion of the interview. Johnson, 38, is considered one of the favorites to land the job in Chicago.
Johnson broke into the NFL with the Dolphins back in 2012 and has risen the ranks as one of the league’s top assistants. He has been a key lieutenant for Lions head coach Dan Campbell, serving as Detroit's offensive coordinator since 2022. The Lions ranked first in scoring offense and second in total offense this season.
Johnson has been a coveted head coaching candidate in the past two hiring cycles, but he removed himself from consideration to remain with the Lions with an eye on seeking potential stronger opportunities down the line.
The Bears are intrigued by how Johnson could connect with 23-year-old quarterback Caleb Williams and help him develop.
"It's been really cool to watch,” Williams said of seeing Johnson's work. “During our games, I would sit back and just kind of watch and try to learn something while I watch. It was fascinating to watch because he always has wrinkles for counters and things like that throughout the game. I think he's obviously done really well. It would be cool to see how that all goes down."
The Bears have a head coach opening after firing Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29. That marked the first ever in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles – who has been retained for a fourth season in his position – is considered the “point man” in this coaching search, team president/CEO Kevin Warren said.
Poles will be joined in the search process by Warren, chairman George McCaskey, senior director of player personnel Jeff King, director of football administration Matt Feinstein and chief human resources officer Liz Geist. The Bears may also include members of their senior leadership team in the interview process. Eleven individuals hold titles of executive vice president or senior vice president.
The Bears have stated their intention to conduct a wide-ranging coaching search. Poles began the process shortly after firing Eberflus, starting by gathering background information and making phone calls to gather intel on potential candidates.
“We're looking for clear vision, a developmental mindset, really good game management and obviously a plan to develop a quarterback is going to be a key part of that as well,” Poles said. “We're going to cast a wide net. It's going to be a diverse group. This will be different backgrounds from offense, defense, special teams, college, pro. We're turning every stone to make sure we're doing this the right way.
“There's going to be some names that you don't expect, that are going to surprise you because we’re digging deeper than we ever have before. In terms of timing, we're going to move with urgency, but we're not going to rush the process.
“We want it to be a sound process.”
Johnson is the sixth candidate the Bears have interviewed as of midday Saturday. They've also interviewed former Titans coach Mike Vrabel, Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. The Bears are holding their first round of interviews virtually.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on X @CEmma670.