Aaron Glenn was passed over for the Washington Commanders’ head coaching position, therefore the Detroit Lions are expected to retain both coordinators.
Going into the 2024 NFL coaching carousel, the Detroit Lions appeared to be in danger of losing both coordinators to head coaching positions. As it turns out, both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will return to Detroit. Johnson has already stated that he will return to Detroit, and according to many rumors, the Washington Commanders will sign Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their new head coach, leaving no head coach vacancies.
That means the Lions will have some uncanny consistency among their coordinators, with Johnson in his third year as offensive coordinator and Glenn returning for his fourth. To give you an idea of how uncommon that is, Glenn is presently tied for the third-longest tenured defensive coordinator, behind Cincinnati’s Lou Anarumo and Kansas City’s Steve Spagnuolo. Johnson and six other coaches are tied for the longest tenure as offensive coordinators.
According to ESPN’s Mike Clay, the current head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator hires are as follows:
Another update to the chart now that all 32 head coach slots are filled! pic.twitter.com/8LwaR6Ym32
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) February 1, 2024
While all three of the Lions’ coordinators (including special teams coordinator Dave Fipp) are slated to return, there is still the possibility of some coaching changes. Tanner Engstrand, the Patriots’ pass game coordinator, is a candidate for both offensive coordinator positions, while Antwaan Randle El, the Buccaneers’ wide receivers coach, is a candidate for offensive coordinator. The Lions have also reportedly agreed to employ Terrell Williams as their new run game coordinator and defensive line coach.
