Short history of teams losing both coordinators gives Lions fans some solace

The Lions lost both of their coordinators, but all is not lost moving forward.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Monday morning, as he wrapped up the Detroit Lions season with reporters, head coach Dan Campbell didn't mince words about what he expected with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

"I would expect to lose both, but I haven’t been told anything," Campbell said. "I’ve got a feeling, but I’m prepared to lose both.” 

By Monday afternoon, the news came that Johnson was leaving the Lions to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Over the course of Tuesday all signs pointed Glenn becoming the New York Jets' head coach, and on Wednesday it became official.

It's interesting to see the level of vitriol Lions' fans have toward Johnson for leaving, compared to the complete lack of the same regarding Glenn for his departure. Johnson leaving for a division rival is the extra layer there, with the real-world comparison of leaving your current job for a promotion with a competitor.

Short recent history of losing both coordinators gives some solace to Lions fans

If a team losing both coordinators to head coaching jobs in the same offseason feels rare, that's because it is. Josh Dubow of the Associated Press gave us a glimpse at how rare it is.

As Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network noted, a team losing both coordinators to head coaching jobs in the same offseason has happened just five times in the last three decades. The other three, besides the two most recent that Dubrow noted, are the 1994 San Francisco 49ers (Mike Shanahan and Ray Rhodes), the 2004 New England Patriots (Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel) and the 2006 San Diego Chargers (Wade Phillips and Cam Cameron).

Let's look at the most recent examples. The Bengals lost Mike Zimmer and Jay Gruden, then went 10-5-1 and lost in the Wild Card Round in 2014.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon after reaching the Super Bowl two years ago. In 2023, they went 11-6 and lost in the Wild Card Round. But this year, after a reset of the coordinators as Nick Sirianni turned to more experienced options, they are in the NFC Championship Game with a shot at making it to the Super Bowl again as of this writing.

Campbell knows how to put together a coaching staff, and there should be full confidence he will find the right people to replace Johnson and Glenn. Losing both coordinators in the same offseason is not a death knell to success in the following season, though the playoff results of the five teams to have done so over the last 30-plus years do leave something to be desired.

Schedule