A New Horizon: Ben Johnson
Learn about the background of Ben Johnson, the head coach of the Chicago Bears
Every now and again in any profession, you run into a person who you would argue that they are a certified genius in their position. The same could be said for the new Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson has made a big name for himself as the Offensive Coordinator for the Detroit Lions. With his unique formations and gutsy play calling, Ben Johnson helped the Detroit Lions win back-to-back NFC North Championships with an appearance in the NFC Championship in 2023. Of course, these things caught the attention of the NFL and even more so from the Chicago Bears.
Ben Johnson was born May 11, 1986, in Charleston, South Carolina. He played Quarterback at A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, NC where they won a state championship, and he also graduated 5th in his class. Kind of plays in to the genius narrative a bit. After high school, He went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he walked on as a Quarterback playing behind T.J. Yates. What’s more impressive about Ben Johnson is that he graduated in 2008 with degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science.
What’s more interesting is that his first job out of college wasn’t on the football field, instead it was for a software developer in Durham, North Carolina called eTeleNext. His first job in football was at Boston College as a graduate assistant. He quickly got promoted to Tight Ends coach in 2011. After spending three seasons at Boston College, Ben Johnson began his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins. There, his services were used in a variety of ways and a variety of positions within the coaching ranks. He was hired as an offensive assistant.
In a six-year stint with the Dolphins, he also served as an Assistant Quarterbacks Coach, Tight Ends Coach, Assistant Wide Receivers, and Wide Receivers Coach. In 2019 he was hired by the Detroit Lions as an Offensive Quality Control Coach. A year later he was promoted to Tight Ends Coach and in 2021, he became the Passing Game Coordinator. In 2022 Ben Johnson was named the Offensive Coordinator and that is where he made his mark. Ben Johnson Helped the Lions have one of the best offenses in the NFL and he had plenty of tools in his toolbox. He was also given a bit of freedom to call clays from Head Coach Dan Campbell. As I said earlier, he got the attention of the entire league for his crafty and gutsy play calling. During the middle of the 2023 season, he became a very hot name for the coaching carousel. He was awarded the NFL’s Assistant Coach of the Year award in 2024, further cementing him as a very sought after coach.
At the end of the 2024 season, he was hired by the Chicago Bears for his first Head Coaching job. In Ben Johnson’s personal life, he married his high school sweetheart Jessica, and they have three children. One thing is for certain. He has excelled at every position that he has been in and he has made all of the right moves and I’m sure he will have continued success with the Bears in the upcoming season.
Fantastic work!!!!!!!.