In two weeks and two days, the annual coaching carousel will start to spin. Things got started a little early this week, with one of the biggest names for the next cycle.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will draw plenty of interest. Whether he receives offers remains to be seen. Whether he accepts one of those offers also remains to be seen.
If there’s mutual interest, there will need to be a mutual agreement as to the terms of the contract. On Thursday, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports posted on second- or third-hand chatter regarding Johnson’s anticipated salary expectations: “I’m told personnel around the league are discussing their awareness that some Owners have been told #Lions OC Ben Johnson’s asking price is at least or around $15M/year for a head coach job, per source.”
It would be unusual for a coordinator who has never been a coach to be getting the word out at this stage of the game regarding what he wants. What he wants is a head-coaching job, presumably. The money follows the opportunity. Without the opportunity, the money is irrelevant.
For a proven head coach who is expected to be on the market (e.g., Jim Harbaugh), it would make sense for someone to be making his asking price known. For a first-time head coach, the asking price is, in the vast majority of cases, the usual amount.
Jeff Risdon of USA Today spotted the snarky response from Johnson’s agent, Richmond Flowers III: “I’m told personnel around the league are discussing their awareness that there is no asking price or demand and this tweet is 100% false and irresponsible reporting, per source.”
Would it take $15 million to accept, for example, the Panthers job, where Johnson would have to constantly deal with owner David Tepper? Perhaps. Also, if multiple teams decide Johnson is the guy and they’re willing to compete to get him, the number naturally will climb higher than it would otherwise be.
For now, Johnson isn’t in position to make demands. For now, the goal is to maximize interest, not be picky.
Still, at the core of the report from Anderson is the notion that “some Owners have been told” that the asking price will be in the range of $15 million. Flowers disputes that.
We aren’t in position to break the tie. That said, it would be out of the ordinary for any coordinator who has never been a head coach to be making exorbitant demands before he has ever even been interviewed. The money follows the interest. The first step is to generate as much interest as possible.
In an industry in which the pay is great but decades of not-so-subtle collusion keep it from being as great as it could or should be, anyone who stands out could end up out in the cold. The supply of competent head coaches continues to outpace the demand. Anyone who makes demands that ruffle the feathers of the folks who control the cash risk being out before they’re even in.
