Which former Lions coach will be most successful as a head coach: Aaron Glenn or Ben Johnson?
The Detroit Lions will officially have to replace both their offensive and defensive coordinators this year. Ben Johnson is now the Chicago Bears head coach, and Aaron Glenn will lead the New York Jets in 2025.
We’ll have plenty of discussions on what’s next for the Lions, who good candidates are for the jobs, and we’ll break down their ultimate decision when the hires are made. But for now, let’s focus on Glenn and Johnson. Each coach is stepping into a wildly different situation, and their approaches will undoubtedly differ from each other.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
Which coach will go on to have a better career in their new jobs?
My answer: First, we need to recognize the situation each is jumping into. Johnson is jumping to a Bears team that may have finished 5-12, but they undoubtedly underperformed. At one point in the year, Chicago was on the verge of being 5-2, but then the Jayden Daniels Hail Hary happened, and that led to a 10-game losing streak.
In reality, Johnson has a young, potential franchise quarterback. He’s got plenty of weapons around him on offense. And Chicago’s defense has plenty of building blocks (13th in points allowed). The franchise has had a dubious history—particularly on offense—so that will be a big challenge for Johnson, as will being in a very difficult division.
Glenn is also taking over a 5-12 team, but their problems—in my opinion—run deeper. They’ve got huge organizational issues, starting with owner Woody Johnson, who always is making headlines for the wrong reasons. They’ll also be starting anew at general manager—a decision that has not been made as of this publishing. Those issues are rooted deep and not easy to fix.
Turning around the Jets will involved a complete unearthing of the foundation and building it back up. On top of that, they’ll either have a 41-year-old quarterback who could be a culture clash with Glenn or they’ll have no quarterback. It’s a very tough job for Glenn, but if there’s someone capable enough to rebuild a culture like Dan Campbell, I’m not sure there’s a better candidate than Glenn.
All of this is to say that I expect Ben Johnson to see more early success, but I think it may be Glenn who eventually becomes the better head coach. Johnson’s issues aren’t going away. The NFC North will continue to be electric, as Kevin O’Connell, Dan Campbell, and Matt LaFleur aren’t going anywhere. It remains to be seen whether he can develop a young quarterback. I sense there will be a cap on Bears success that Johnson may never be able to overcome. But Glenn, who knows that Jets organization front to back, could eventually rise in an AFC East that is very much up for grabs. Yes, the Bills have had a stranglehold on that division since the Patriots fell apart, but they are not unbeatable.
Which coach do you think will have the better career in their new homes? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comment section below.