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Aaron Glenn

Lions OC Ben Johnson Won’t “Chase” HC Interviews

December 7th, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Ben Johnson will once again be one of the most popular names on the coaching market this offseason. However, unlike past hiring cycles, the Lions offensive coordinator will be a bit more methodical with the process.

According to Albert Breer of TheMMQB, Johnson is taking a “different approach” this offseason. Specifically, the OC doesn’t intend to “chase interviews,” and he’ll only talk with teams that he’s genuinely interested in joining. We heard a similar sentiment last month, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter noting that Johnson intends to be “highly selective” with his next gig.

Further, Johnson is seeking “organizational alignment” between the head coach and general manager. Considering HC-needy teams will mostly be seated towards the bottom of the standings, the coach is also seeking “recognition” from organizations about their shortcomings. This would require interested teams to explain where things have gone wrong and how they intend to fix the issues.

As the Lions have climbed into a Super Bowl-contending position, Johnson has become a hot name on the coaching market for each of the past two offseasons. He was viewed as the leader for the Panthers’ HC job in 2023, and he was in pole position to replace Ron Rivera in Washington this past offseason. Both times, Johnson decided to stick in Detroit, and after receiving a raise several years ago, his current Lions deal runs through 2025. The Lions would surely pony up if Johnson wants to stay with the organization, but it seems like the coach is finally set to lead his own staff. The Bears have already been mentioned as a potential suitor, and other teams will surely emerge as the season comes to an end.

On the other side of the ball, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is also expected to be a popular name as the coaching market heats up. Breer points to two squads that already have a connection to the coach: the Jets (where Glenn spent the first eight seasons of his playing career) and the Saints (where Glenn coached for five years prior to his stint in Detroit).

Aaron Glenn Back On Saints’ HC Radar

December 4th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Sam Robinson

A popular name on this year’s head coaching carousel, Aaron Glenn will almost definitely reprise that role in 2025. The Lions have fared much better defensively this season, remaining on course despite losing early Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Aidan Hutchinson. How the unit performs after more injuries have occurred will further shape Glenn’s candidacy.

One team that is expected to be in on Glenn next year will be the one that launched him onto the coordinator radar. The Saints are not expected to move on from GM Mickey Loomis, and that would strengthen the chances of Glenn receiving extensive consideration to return to New Orleans. The Saints are indeed expected to show interest in Glenn, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. He was on the radar for the team back in 2022 as well.

Glenn, 52, worked as the Saints’ defensive backs coach from 2016-2020. This period coincided with New Orleans changing course on defense, rocketing from one of the league’s worst units to helping Drew Brees during his final seasons. The Saints made four straight playoff berths from 2017-20, with Glenn overseeing the development of Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams. The Lions took note, with ex-Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell bringing him to Detroit.

Glenn’s Lions defenses have been a mixed bag. Detroit ran into consistent struggles on this side of the ball during its rebuild, with Glenn coming up as a coordinator on the hot seat early in 2022. Last season brought a collapse in the NFC championship game, as Detroit’s pass defense struggled down the stretch. The Lions ranked 23rd in scoring defense last season. This year, however, Glenn’s unit sits second despite the losses of Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport. The team has continued to play well despite losing linebacker regular Derrick Barnes, though recent injuries piling up at linebacker will test the unit ahead of a tough schedule sector.

The 2025 HC interview cycle could be crucial for Glenn, who has been a regular candidate for the past two offseasons. Glenn interviewed for four HC jobs last year, meeting with the Commanders twice. Though, Washington was widely believed to covet Glenn coworker Ben Johnson, who bowed out of the running late. He met with two teams about their vacancies in 2023 and two others in 2022. The 2022 cycle proves most relevant here, as the Saints conducted an interview ahead of their Dennis Allen promotion. Glenn worked under Allen throughout the latter’s run as New Orleans’ DC.

Considering Allen’s shortcomings, it would be interesting to see if the Saints again showed significant interest in another of Sean Payton‘s former lieutenants. This organization, however, has prioritized familiarity more than most this century. Holding his job for 23 years, Loomis is the NFL’s longest-tenured active GM — among non-owners who hold de facto GM titles — but the team is heading toward its fourth season missing the playoffs. It would stand to reason a reset of some sort would be strongly considered, but with Loomis on track to stay, Glenn appears firmly in play to come back.

Bears To Prioritize Leadership Ability In Next HC; GM Ryan Poles Expected To Be Retained

December 1st, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bears will be in the market for a new head coach this offseason, and per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the club believes its vacancy is the most attractive one that will be available. With a promising rookie-contract quarterback in Caleb Williams and a bevy of other offensive talent, over $80MM in projected salary cap space, and a new stadium project in the offing, Chicago is hopeful it will be able to land the candidate of its choice.

According to Jones, the Bears hope to hire a “leader of men” type of head coach. In other words, the candidate’s status as an offensive or defensive savant will not be as much of a priority as that person’s mental toughness and leadership abilities. The successes of Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh and Dan Campbell in Detroit have underscored the importance of those qualities, and recent HC hirees Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Jerod Mayo, and Jim Harbaugh also fit the “leader of men” mold (although those coaches, like almost all coaches, also offer an offensive or defensive background).

Scott Bair of the Marquee Sports Network agrees that leadership skills, along with in-game management prowess, are traits the Bears will be seeking in their next HC. However, Bair does believe that a brilliant offensive mind, or someone that can bring such a mind on board, will also be a prerequisite, which jibes with earlier reports on the matter. He names Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, Kliff Kingsbury, Aaron Glenn, and Joe Brady as external HC candidates, while Jones adds Brian Flores and Bill Belichick as possible targets. As reported previously, interim head coach Thomas Brown will also have a chance at the permanent gig.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) acknowledges that the Bears’ opening will be coveted, and he also believes that Kingsbury will be under consideration. Of course, the team interviewed the former Cardinals’ HC this past offseason for its offensive coordinator post, although it was reported that the summit was really more of an intel-gathering session on Williams, whom Kingsbury coached at USC and whom the Bears were preparing to select with the No. 1 overall pick of this year’s draft. Naturally, the Kingsbury-Williams connection will drive a great deal of Kingsbury-Chicago speculation during the upcoming cycle.

Johnson, meanwhile, will again be one of the hottest candidates on the market, and he is expected to remain very selective about his next destination. On that note, ESPN’s Adam Schefter previously said that Johnson could opt to steer clear of the Bears due to perceived organizational dysfunction, although Schefter may have changed his stance. During his appearance on Sunday NFL Countdown today, Schefter said that Johnson might indeed have some interest in the Chicago job (video link).

Jones and Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (video link) also see Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman as a dark horse candidate for the Bears’ HC post. Freeman, who was actually drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, has led the Fighting Irish to an 11-1 record and a likely spot in the College Football Playoff field in his first year at the helm. Freeman was recently named as one of the college coaches expected to receive NFL HC interest in 2025.

Per Jones, it is unclear who will make the final decision on the club’s next HC. Of course, owner George McCaskey will have considerable input, but team president Kevin Warren will be heavily involved as well. One way or another, though, GM Ryan Poles’ job is safe, and he will be a part of the search. 

There were some recent rumblings that Poles could be handed his walking papers at season’s end, but prior reports indicated that Poles and Warren are aligned in their vision for the team, and both Jones and Rapoport report that the GM – who was originally hired just two days before the recently-dismissed Matt Eberflus – will be retained. Interestingly, Rapoport says that Poles will “assist” Warren in running the search, which would seem to corroborate the league-wide perception that Warren is the one making the calls.

2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 1st, 2024 at 9:55am CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders’ hire has wrapped this year’s cycle. Barring a team making an 11th-hour change, the 2024 HC carousel has come to a stop. The final breakdown produced five defensive coaches being hired compared to three with backgrounds on offense. Many teams are still searching for offensive and defensive coordinators, however.

Updated 2-1-24 (10:37am CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Hired

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Commanders, Seahawks Not Expected To Make HC Hires This Week

January 25th, 2024 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Falcons bringing back Raheem Morris and the Panthers luring Dave Canales from the Buccaneers, the NFC South now has four head coaches again. That leaves just two openings remaining; neither is likely to be filled this week.

The Commanders and Seahawks are expected to wait a bit longer, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter noting both teams are planning to delay their searches until next week. NFL rules will dictate these delays. Staffers on a team preparing for a conference championship game cannot meet with teams about a coaching job.

Despite the Chiefs and 49ers’ continued success, these delays pertain to the Lions and Ravens’ coordinators. Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Mike Macdonald and Anthony Weaver are in the mix for jobs. Other coaches remain in the running for the Seattle and Washington gigs, but the non-Detroit or Baltimore-affiliated candidates are free to conduct in-person interviews now.

The NFL rule change last year prevented any coach on an NFL staff from conducting an in-person interview with a team until after the divisional round. As a result, Glenn, Johnson, Macdonald and Weaver have only interviewed virtually. Last year’s hiring period involved lengthy waits as well, with the Cardinals and Colts not making their hires until after Super Bowl LVII. Eagles staffers Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen signed on to fill those positions, needing to wait until after the Super Bowl due to league rules. If the Ravens or Lions advance that far this season, their assistants would need to wait until after Super Bowl LVIII to be hired.

Washington has been connected to Johnson for a bit now. Both the Panthers and Commanders were believed to have the second-year Lions OC positioned as the favorite in their respective searches. Johnson spurned Carolina last year and may not have given indications he was interested this year, either. Though, Johnson did interview with David Tepper‘s club. Johnson interviewed with both the Commanders and Seahawks virtually, joining Glenn and Macdonald.

Johnson and Glenn are expected to meet again with the Commanders. Macdonald interviewed virtually with Washington, but only Weaver has a second Commanders interview arranged among Baltimore staffers. The Ravens could see both their coordinators return, which represented an unlikely scenario given the team’s success this season. Macdonald has not interviewed with the Seahawks, and OC Todd Monken has not been connected to either of the remaining openings. The Seahawks are believed to be interested in Mike Vrabel, though they have not interviewed him. No Vrabel-Commanders connections have emerged.

Bill Belichick is not believed to be on either NFC team’s radar, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reinforces. Belichick, 71, had only met with the Falcons about their vacancy. Although Arthur Blank initially targeted the six-time Super Bowl-winning HC, the Falcons changed course and hired Morris. The latter met twice with the Commanders and was set for a second Seahawks interview Friday. Unless another team fires its head coach, Belichick is likely to find himself shut out — from HC positions, at least — in this cycle. The 29-year HC veteran is 14 wins shy of Don Shula‘s career record. He has been on an NFL sideline in every season since 1975.

Falcons, Commanders Request Second HC Interviews With Lions’ Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn

January 23rd, 2024 at 12:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

12:13pm: Joining the Falcons in expressing considerable interest in Detroit’s coordinators, Washington will also schedule second interviews with Glenn and Johnson, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. These meetings are set to take place in Detroit next week. Teams cannot interview staffers attached to the four conference championship-bound teams this week, injecting a hiccup into these assistants’ timetables on the HC carousel.

A second Commanders-Johnson summit has long been expected. Josh Harris‘ club has been high on the two-year OC for a bit now. The Panthers remain interested in Johnson, however, as they have been tied to the North Carolina native for some time. While Glenn was believed to be in the mix for the Titans’ HC job, the AFC South team has since hired Brian Callahan.

11:05am: The Falcons continue to cast a wide net in their search for a new head coach. Atlanta has requested a second interview with Lions offensive and defensive coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, ESPN’s Michael Rothstein reports.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Both interviews will take place in person, but the team will need to wait for them to take place. With the Lions having advanced to the NFC championship game, neither Johnson nor Glenn are permitted to meet with prospective teams until next week. The Falcons do have a number of other interviews to get through in the coming days, however.

For some time now, Bill Belichick has been the name most frequently linked to Atlanta’s vacancy. A recent report indicated the position is open for the six-time Super Bowl winner if he desires it, and Belichick has already interviewed twice. The Falcons are believed to be eyeing head coaching experience – a departure from owner Arthur Blank‘s previous hires – something which would lend itself to candidates such as Belichick and Jim Harbaugh.

Nevertheless, it comes as little surprise that Johnson in particular continues to receive significant interest. The 37-year-old was a top HC candidate last year despite his age and lack of experience as a play-caller. He has only two years under his belt in the latter department, but his success with Detroit’s offense has made him one of the top staffers available. Johnson is believed to be the top target for the Panthers and Commanders.

Glenn has also been one of the most popular staffers in the 2024 cycle. He has met once with the Falcons, but also the Chargers, Titans and Commanders. This follow-up with the Falcons will mark the first time this year that he interviews for a second time, however. Glenn has routinely drawn praise from Lions head coach Dan Campbell, and Detroit did manage its best showing to date with him at the helm (including a second-place ranking against the run) this season.

The Falcons have a number of notable options to choose from, but a dark horse candidate could be Bills OC Joe Brady. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes that Brady is a name worth watching in the event a more established coach like Belichick or Harbaugh does not land the Atlanta gig. The 34-year-old had a two-year OC stint with the Panthers before joining the Bills’ staff last year. He replaced Ken Dorsey midway through the 2023 campaign, and the team’s success down the stretch could make him a logical candidate to be retained on a full-time basis. Brady was, as Breer notes, though, the runner-up to Arthur Smith when the latter was hired.

Here is an updated look at the Falcons’ search:

Titans Schedule Second HC Interview With Brian Callahan; Team Eyeing Aaron Glenn?

January 18th, 2024 at 10:34am CST by Adam La Rose

Teams are still in the midst of their first round of coaching interviews, but arrangements can be made for in-person meetings amongst finalists. For the Titans, that is the case with Brian Callahan.

The Bengals offensive coordinator has been contacted to schedule a second head coaching interview by Tennessee, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports. In-person interviews (such as the one being arranged) cannot take place until after the divisional round, but it is telling Callahan is the team’s first candidate for a follow-up. To date, the Titans have conducted first interviews with four other candidates, and they have sent out requests for five others.

Callahan has once again been a top HC candidate during this year’s hiring cycle, as has been the case previously. The 39-year-old has interviewed with the Falcons, Panthers and Chargers in addition to his Titans summit. Callahan has been in his current post with Cincinnati since head coach Zac Taylor‘s arrival in 2019, and the pair have enjoyed success together particularly when Joe Burrow has been healthy. That was not the case for much of 2023, but the Bengals still managed to go 9-8 and finish mid-pack in scoring with Jake Browning at the helm.

Contrasting with a number of other HC-needy franchises, the Titans have not been connected with Bill Belichick or Jim Harbaugh. The two high-profile candidates headline the options available in this year’s cycle amongst experienced staffers, but Callahan is one of many younger play-callers whose stock has risen in recent years. He has never been a head coach, but his NFL tenure dates back to 2010. His background on offense would be welcomed as Tennessee looks to take a step forward on that side of the ball in 2024 with quarterback Will Levis atop the depth chart.

As Graziano notes, however, Callahan is not the only candidate to watch closely as it pertains to the Titans vacancy. Lions DC Aaron Glenn is Graziano’s predicted hire for Tennessee based on conversations with those connected to the search. Glenn, like his counterpart Ben Johnson, has been one of the hottest names around the league with respect to head coaching prospects. He has received an interview request from the Titans, but the parties have yet to speak.

Glenn’s attention will currently be on the Lions’ upcoming divisional round game against the Buccaneers. Next week, however, he will be eligible to conduct in-person interviews with the Titans and other interested teams. He and Callahan will be worth watching closely as it pertains to Tennessee’s ongoing search.

The third-year Detroit DC’s interview itinerary is coming into focus. Glenn does plan to meet with the Titans, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Glenn plans to meet with each team who sent him a slip, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. The Falcons, Chargers and Commanders have also requested Glenn meetings.

Falcons Send Out Seven HC Interview Requests

January 11th, 2024 at 11:35am CST by Adam La Rose

11:35am: A seventh name can be added to the Falcons’ growing list of targets. Texans OC Bobby Slowik has received an interview request, per SI’s Albert Breer. Slowik followed DeMeco Ryans from San Francisco to Houston this offseason, and 2023 has marked his first stint as a coordinator. His and the team’s success has landed the 36-year-old on the HC radar this offseason. The Panthers and Commanders have also submitted interview requests for Slowik.

10:13am: The Falcons have been connected to two high-profile coaches in recent days, but the team has yet to line up any interviews with interested candidates. That is set to change soon, as Atlanta has now sent out six interview requests.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

The Falcons are looking to speak with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, who adds Atlanta is also interested in Bengals OC Brian Callahan. In addition, Lions DC Aaron Glenn and Ravens defensive line coach/associate head coach Anthony Weaver are on the list of request recipients, colleague Ian Rapoport tweets. 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has also received a request, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Lastly, Atlanta has requested an interview with Rams DC Raheem Morris, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Johnson, as expected, has been one of the most sought-after candidates so far. In his second season at the helm of Detroit’s offense, the Lions have remained among the league’s most efficient teams on that side of the ball. The 37-year-old has been in the Motor City since 2019 and a coordinator only since 2022, but his relative lack of experience did not stop him from generating interest during last year’s hiring cycle. An aggressive Johnson pursuit is expected from the Panthers, but he is also on the radar of the Chargers and Commanders.

Callahan has likewise been connected to a number of openings this season after receiving interest last year. The Bengals fell short of expectations this season, and the offense struggled in a number of categories. Despite going much of the year without Joe Burrow, though, Cincinnati still managed to go 9-8 while finishing 16th in the league in scoring. Notably, each of the other candidates listed for the Falcons’ vacancy have a background on the defensive side of the ball.

That includes Glenn, whose unit has not matched Johnson’s in terms of effectiveness. Nevertheless, the former has received interest from the Chargers, Titans and Commanders so far. Weaver has served as a position coach during his three-year Ravens tenure, but he has held a coordinator role in the past, doing so with the Texans in 2020. Mentioned less frequently than fellow Baltimore staffers Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald, Weaver has nonetheless received an interview request from the Commanders in addition to today’s summons.

Wilks and Morris both have interim head coaching experience. The former finished off the season with the Panthers last year after Matt Rhule was fired. Wilks received support from several Panthers players to be retained on a full-time basis, but the team instead went in a different direction. That led him to San Francisco, where he has guided the 49ers’ defense to top-10 finishes in both points and yards allowed en route to securing the NFC’s top seed.

Morris, meanwhile, is an interesting name given his Falcons connection. The 47-year-old joined Atlanta in 2020 as an assistant head coach, later taking on the DC title in 2020. Midway through that season, Dan Quinn was fired and Morris finished the campaign as interim head coach. He has not received another opportunity to lead a staff since then, but his three-year coordinator run with the Rams has been well received and it has put him back on the HC radar this offseason.

After making the unsurprising move of dismissing Arthur Smith, the Falcons have been connected to both Jim Harbaugh and Bill Belichick. Links to the latter have continued in the wake of his long-rumored spilt with the Patriots having been confirmed. No Harbaugh or Belichick interviews have been lined up to date, of course, but the team will now have meetings with a host of other options as the Falcons look to take a step forward in 2024 and beyond.

Titans Request HC Interviews With Antonio Pierce, Four Others

January 10th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ousting a popular defensive-minded coach, the Titans are starting off their search to replace Mike Vrabel by sending to interview requests to defense-oriented staffers.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and Raiders interim HC Antonio Pierce have received requests to meet with Titans brass about the newly vacated job, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report. This represents more of the same for Glenn, a candidate over the past two years, but new territory for Pierce, who is in only his second season as an NFL coach. Quinn will interview for the job virtually Wednesday, per SI.com’s Albert Breer.

Additionally, Pelissero notes Giants OC Mike Kafka received a Titans interview summons. Ravens DC Mike Macdonald is also on the Titans’ request list, per Schefter. Both young coaches have surged onto the radar in recent years, with Macdonald riding more momentum at this point.

Pierce is on the radar to keep his job in Las Vegas, but the Raiders are understandably targeting higher-profile names. Jim Harbaugh is in the mix to reunite with the first team to give him a shot as an NFL coach, though Raiders HC interview requests have not emerged yet. The franchise is working on its GM role first. Pierce represents an unorthodox candidate, having been moved from linebackers coach to interim HC. The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker had resigned from his Arizona State DC post in 2022, amid an investigation into recruiting violations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but went 5-4 as Raiders interim HC.

Quinn has been a popular figure on the past two coaching carousels, but the Cowboys’ DC jumped off both rides. He had aimed to land the Broncos’ HC job in 2022, but the franchise went through on what became one of this era’s biggest mistakes by hiring Nathaniel Hackett. Producing two more high-end Cowboys defenses since, Quinn now could have a chance to return to the team that raised his profile. The Seahawks have moved on from Pete Carroll, and Quinn — Seattle’s DC from 2013-14 — is expected to be a lead candidate.

Glenn and Quinn overlap in interview requests during this cycle. In addition to the Titans, both have received requests from the Chargers and Commanders. Glenn has managed to attract steady interest despite his Detroit defenses not rivaling Quinn’s Dallas groups in terms of rankings. The Lions have not produced a top-half ranking in scoring or total yardage in Glenn’s three seasons in charge, but the former cornerback is well-regarded — after a run as the Saints’ DBs coach — and interviewed for the Cardinals and Colts’ jobs last year.

Tennessee’s Kafka request is somewhat surprising. Although Kafka was in the mix for the Arizona, Houston and Indianapolis gigs in 2023, the Giants’ offense regressed this season. That said, the team produced a surprising playoff berth behind quality seasons from Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley in 2022. Jones’ injury wounded the Giants this season, as they tumbled from 15th to 30th in points from 2022-23. Still, the Titans will take a look at the former Chiefs assistant soon. No in-person coaching interviews can take place until after the divisional round. Kafka has called plays during both his Giants OC seasons.

Just 36, Macdonald did not receive any interview requests last year. The Ravens’ defensive performance in 2023 has changed the equation, elevating the play-caller’s stock. Baltimore led the NFL in scoring defense this season; Macdonald’s unit has ranked in the top 10 in both points and yards in each of his two seasons in charge. The longtime Ravens position coach-turned-Michigan assistant is on others’ interview lists as well, with the prospect of Baltimore losing both he and first-year OC Todd Monken in play.

Chargers Request HC Interview With Steve Wilks, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Todd Monken

January 8th, 2024 at 5:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL pushed back the HC carousel’s actual interviews this season, the in-person meetings at least. The league will delay onsite HC interviews until after the divisional round, but teams can still begin requesting meetings today. HC-needy clubs have gotten to work.

This now includes the Chargers, who sent an interview request to 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The Bolts need to hire both a head coach and a GM, so plenty of moving parts — the biggest being Jim Harbaugh — are in place here. But Wilks is back on the HC radar after keeping the 49ers’ defense in high gear.

The Bolts are also interested in speaking with both the Lions’ top coordinators. Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson received requests to meet about the Los Angeles job, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Johnson, who has now collected requests from the Commanders and Panthers, has been on the Bolts’ radar for a bit. Mutual interest is believed to exist. Ravens OC Todd Monken is also on the Chargers’ radar, with Rapoport adding the recent college play-caller received a request about this job as well.

Last year, Wilks went toe-to-toe with Frank Reich for the Panthers’ HC position. After two interviews, David Tepper went with Reich. Tepper had been connected to wanting an offensive-minded coach, sending Wilks out the door after he went 6-6 as Carolina’s interim HC. Reich lasted 11 games, and the Panthers are back on the HC carousel. Tepper is not interested in bringing Wilks back this year, but the Chargers want to see if he makes sense for them. The 49ers, who have seen their past two DCs (Robert Saleh, DeMeco Ryans) become head coaches, rank third in scoring defense and fourth in defensive DVOA.

This represents quite the comeback for Monken, who had spent three years as Georgia’s OC after the 2019 Browns imploded. A one-and-done OC on the ill-fated Freddie Kitchens-centered staff, Monken — a former Buccaneers OC — rebuilt his value in Georgia, helping the Bulldogs to back-to-back national titles. He may have to beat out Harbaugh, whose Wolverines lost to the 2021 Bulldogs in the CFP semifinals, for the gig. Monken, however, has considerable momentum thanks to Lamar Jackson being on the cusp of his second MVP award. The Ravens rank in the top six in scoring and total offense, rebounding after 17th- and 19th-place finishes — albeit in seasons Jackson did not finish — in 2021 and ’22.

Johnson might be this year’s hottest HC candidate. Similar to Arthur Smith‘s stock in 2021, Johnson could end up receiving requests from the full lot of HC-seeking teams. While Smith is not the best name to bring up right now, Johnson joins the ex-Titans OC in being a two-year play-caller as an assistant. The Lions revived their offense after Dan Campbell handed Johnson the reins in 2022. Jared Goff ranked fifth in QBR last season. Although Goff took a step back this year, sitting 14th, the Lions won 12 games for just the second time in franchise history.

Johnson is 2-for-2 in top-five offensive finishes as a coordinator. It would surprise if he did not land a job during this cycle, and multiple offers could come his way. The Panthers loom for the ascending OC, a North Carolina native, but they are not exactly in a good place organizationally — and Johnson turned them down in 2023. The Chargers will have candidates eager to coach Justin Herbert; Harbaugh may well be among them.

Glenn interviewed with the Cardinals and Colts last year, but his unit’s performance does not match the Lions’ offense. The Lions have finished 31st, 28th and 23rd in scoring defense during Glenn’s three-year tenure, and he was rumored to be on the chopping block during the 2022 season. But Detroit crafted a turnaround that has carried over to this year. Glenn has also seen two of his DB pieces (C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley) suffer major injuries. That has not stopped both the Chargers and Commanders from reaching out about their HC vacancies.

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