MOBILE, Ala. — Dan Campbell plans to interview multiple candidates for the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator position during the Senior Bowl this week, though tight ends coach Ben Johnson remains the leading candidate for the job.
“Ben is certainly, he’s in this conversation,” Campbell said Tuesday. “I’ve started the process this week. And so I’ll have interviewed, I’m not going to give you names, but at least a couple by the time we leave Mobile.”
Johnson, the Lions’ tight ends coach the past two seasons, took over as pass game coordinator when Campbell assumed play calling duties midway through last season and left a significant imprint on the offense.
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The Lions won their only three games of the year after their Week 9 bye and showed more creativity in the passing game. They increased their scoring by more than four points per game with Campbell calling plays and Johnson in a more prominent role, and quarterback Jared Goff played his best football of the season.
Campbell fired Anthony Lynn the day after the season ended.
At the Senior Bowl this week, Johnson is serving as offensive coordinator for the American team, one of several coaches taking a more prominent role on staff.
Assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley is head coach this week, secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant is coordinating the defense, and on Tuesday defensive quality control coach Stephen Thomas worked as lead defensive line coach and assistant special teams coach Jett Modkins as special teams coordinator.
Campbell said he sees this week as a test run of sorts for assistants who could be up for eventual promotions. Pleasant is considered next in line at defensive coordinator should Aaron Glenn land the New Orleans Saints head coaching job.
Glenn is scheduled to interview with the Saints on Wednesday.
“I look at it as an opportunity, and it is an opportunity to evaluate these guys in those type of roles,” Campbell said. “And not just them. We’ve got, our other coaches now are coaching up, too, where we can do it. We’ve got Stephen Thomas coached the D-Line. He kind of took the lead on that today, for example. So guys like that, how are they when the room is theirs now and the unit is theirs. So I do look at this as, ‘Hey, how comfortable are these guys? How do they do with that much authority and they continue to grow?'”
Campbell said he still has not decided who will call offensive plays next season.
“I’m still thinking it through a little bit,” he said.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.