Lions coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn are both in demand as head coaching candidates, as they are each slated to have multiple virtual interviews over the next two days.
Head coach Dan Campbell wanted his offensive and defensive coordinator to wait until after Friday’s practice to start taking their interviews this week, and that has ended up being the case.
In his Friday press conference, Campbell expressed confidence that Johnson and Glenn will compartmentalize in a way that will keep them prepared for Sunday’s divisional-round matchup with the Buccaneers.
“We’ll find out because it starts today,” Campbell said, via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “I know this about both of them: Man, they are 100 percent team-oriented. They’re all about the team, they’re all about this plan, they’re all about those players in that room and the other coaches around them. That’s where it all starts for them. They both understand they have an opportunity, and so they’re going to take these. But they also know, hey, if anything, what you’re going to get is I’m going to tell you — you’re going to find out who I am, right?
“And here’s the luxury that a lot of coaches have that do these that aren’t in the playoffs — they get to dive into the roster. You’re interviewing me. Washington, OK, I’m going to look at your roster up and down and tell you what you do well, what you don’t, what l’d do with it. They can’t do that. They don’t have time. They don’t have time. So what they need to do is, and they will, just let them know who you are, what you’re about, why you feel like we had success here, the things you believe in. And either they like you or they don’t. It’s a little unfair, but it’s also the business. And so you do that, move on, get ready for the game and here we go.”
We’ll see if the coordinator interviews have any tangible effect on Detroit when the club plays Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon.
