Based on the last two hiring cycles, it’s not a surprise Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will be selective and intentional with his approach to head coaching opportunities that will come his way again in the upcoming hiring cycle.

This week, after being asked about his future for the first time all season, Johnson acknowledged how much he learned from the last two hiring cycles and confirmed he wants to be a head coach some day.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, in answering a mailbag question this week, reiterated his previous reporting about Johnson’s criteria when it comes to head coaching opportunities.

“He (Johnson) has two criteria for looking at opportunities. Number one, he’ll want a team that’ll create alignment between the head coach and general manager. Number two, he’ll want to work for an owner who is willing to honestly identify his/her team’s weaknesses and address them aggressively. In other words, he’ll want what Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes got from the Detroit Lions in 2021.”

“As I hear it, Johnson will only interview this year for jobs he can really envision himself taking. He won’t interview just to interview. And in the interview, rather than trying to assess an organization’s situation, or win the job, he’ll be selling his vision of what he believes it’ll take to win—so if an owner hires him, it’ll happen with buy-in into how he plans to build his own program.”

It’s entirely possible Johnson doesn’t leave the Lions for a head coaching job after the season. He can and should be selective. While no situation will be absolutely perfect, the criteria Breer has reported are reasonable and there are jobs out there with a level of appeal (a quarterback already in place, for one).

Based on what we know, from Johnson’s own words and the reports we’ve seen, we can cross some head coaching openings that already exist or may be coming off his list for 2025.

4 head coaching opportunities Ben Johnson won’t seriously entertain for 2025