LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) – New Bears head coach Ben Johnson has a list of candidates in mind for his pivotal hire at defensive coordinator, and he has garnered interest from a number of candidates throughout the NFL.
But the leading option appears to be former Saints head coach Dennis Allen, who’s a strong candidate to join Johnson and the Bears. Allen, 52, is looking for a new job after he was fired in New Orleans in early November. As a first-time head coach, the 38-year-old Johnson wants to surround himself with veteran coaches, and Allen meets that pivotal component of the criteria.
Allen has worked as a defensive coordinator for the Broncos (2011) and Saints (2015-’21). As a head coach, he holds a 26-53 record in six seasons leading the Raiders (2012-’14) and Saints (2022-’24).
Johnson has never coached with Allen or even met with him, but he knows plenty about his work. The Saints ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in scoring defense for four straight years from 2020 to 2023 under Allen's guidance.
“We faced that defense a year ago when he was in New Orleans and gained a lot of respect for it,” Johnson said. “I think everywhere he has been along the way, they have been a top third-down team, a top red-zone team. So, there are a lot of pillars about what he does schematically that would be appealing to me. He has worked with (former Lions defensive coordinator and new Jets head coach) Aaron Glenn. He has worked with (Lions head coach) Dan Campbell. Both speak very highly of him. So, he's on the list. But there are a number of really good candidates.
“There's no question that experience, whether it's coordinators or elsewhere within the coaching staff, will be important to me. That's why I look forward here, after we get through this initial madness if you will, we can get going on the coaching staff. That is going to be a critical part of our success.”
Johnson confirmed he’ll call plays for the Bears’ offense. He also knows what he wants in his offensive coordinator hire.
“It's going to be critical for me to find somebody that can organize and structure and set the table, particularly early in the week,” Johnson said. “I have been around a number of guys that have called plays in the past, and I've seen the potential pitfalls that could arise as you're approaching the entire football team and you can't get to watching as much tape early in the week as you possibly could. The offensive coordinator position is going to have to be somebody that not only I trust but will be extremely detail-oriented, organized and structured to set the table and also be willing to work late nights.”
Johnson’s plan was to continue work on forming his coaching staff as soon as his introductory press conference ended Wednesday afternoon.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on X @CEmma670.