Sports
Lions' Ben Johnson details decision to pass on head coaching opportunities: 'I love where I'm at'
Ben Johnson was one of the most sought-after candidates this past coaching cycle.
Johnson had at least one interview with the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, the NFL Network reported in January. But he withdrew his name from consideration to remain in Detroit.
Johnson spent the past two seasons as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. The 38-year-old assistant coach was the architect of one of the best offenses in the NFL in 2023.
Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, during a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field Sept. 24, 2023, in Detroit. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
In January, Lions star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said Johnson’s choice to stay put centered on “unfinished business.”
“I’m like, ‘So what’s up with you, you did an interview. Like, are you leaving?’” St. Brown said on his “St. Brown Brothers” podcast about a text message exchange with Johnson. “He’s like, ‘You know what, I’m on my way to the facility right now.’ He said he couldn’t sleep last night. He was thinking about it, and he said, ‘There’s unfinished business.’ He wants to stay.”
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This week, Johnson shed some more light on his surprising decision to stay put, saying he was happy with his situation with the Lions.
“When it boils down to it, I wanted the sunshine a bit longer,” Johnson told reporters at Lions practice.
“That’s really what it comes down to for me. I like the sunshine. I like what we’ve built here, starting with ownership, the head coach, the GM on down. We have a great group of guys in the locker room, and I want to reap the rewards with them a little bit longer.”
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Jared Goff (16) of the Detroit Lions speak on the field prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field Nov. 23, 2023, in Detroit. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
Johnson added that any future head coaching opportunity would have to be a good fit for him to consider leaving the Lions.
“When I look at it from that perspective, if I get the opportunity to go down that road, it’s about how do I get to that second contract. How do I set myself up? The stars need to align. I’m not going to do it just to do it. I love what I’m doing right now. Love it. I love where I’m at. My family loves where we’re at. Love the people that we’re doing it with. So, I’m not willing to go down the other path yet unless I feel really good about how it’s going to unfold.”
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions before a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field Dec. 10, 2023, in Chicago. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Johnson acknowledged he would likely have to work through an “adjustment period” if he took a head coaching job, but he also made it clear he would not want to forfeit play-calling duties.
“It’s ownership, it’s staff, it’s my vision of how I can make it work with how I know I am,” Johnson said. “Part of me, I love play-calling. If I took a head coaching job, I would want to be a play-calling head coach. Well, there’s a limit to how much time there is during a week. So, what’s it going to look like Monday through Sunday in that regard? Just want to make sure everything’s nailed down. Listen, there’s an adjustment period for every person that takes that job.”
The Lions have averaged the fourth most points per game since Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022. He served as the team’s pass game coordinator in 2021. Detroit’s 387.4 yards per game was the best in the NFL.
Rookies Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta thrived in their first season in Johnson’s offense. Both players received Rookie of the Year consideration. Johnson successfully deployed creative plays throughout the season, and four Lions players finished the year with 500 or more yards from scrimmage.
Johnson will likely be a highly sought-after head coaching candidate in the 2025 cycle. But his decision to remain in Detroit allowed the Lions to focus on other offseason priorities instead of worrying about filling a huge hole in the coaching staff.
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The Cleveland Browns, rumored to be willing to trade down from their No. 6 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, did just that Thursday evening when the traded the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cleveland traded the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chiefs, in exchange for the ninth overall pick, as well as pick No. 74 in the third round and No. 148 in the fifth round.
The Browns now hold the No. 9 and No. 24 picks in the first round of the draft. They have a total of 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sidelines during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
So the Chiefs gave up three picks in making the first trade of the first round.
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And we know what the fan bases of both clubs were thinking prior to the selection:
Chiefs fans were thinking we know something they don’t. And then the Chiefs selected cornerback Mansoor Delane from LSU — a move no doubt forced by the club’s trade of Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the offseason.
So, the Chiefs fill a major need, assuming Delane is indeed the quality corner they believe.
LSU Tigers CB Mansoor Delane celebrates a defensive stop against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in South Carolina. (Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY Network)
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ESPN’s Mel Kiper didn’t like the pick, by the way. He had Delane as the 14th best player in the draft.
“It was a necessity,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, a former NFL defensive back, responded.
Browns fans weren’t thinking that way.
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They were probably thinking something akin to “We screwed up.”
This is understandable because they’re Browns fans and this could have been the Browns Browning.
Well, the Browns, moving down three slots, gave up a shot to draft linebacker Sonny Styles of Ohio State to the Washington Commanders, receiver Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints and then the Browns got their chance with the newly acquired No. 9 pick:
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Offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Fano is good. And he makes the Browns offensive line instantly better because he’s going to likely start at left tackle for them.
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So what will Browns fans think of this pick?
They’ll probably wonder why the Browns didn’t pick Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, who went with the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants and promised “to die for” Jaxson Dart if necessary. They’ll wonder this because Browns fans expect the worst.
UCLA women’s basketball team has added some star power as its revamped roster begins to take shape.
Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown announced Thursday she is committing to UCLA, giving the Bruins one of the top players in the portal.
Brown averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point distance with the Cyclones last season. She played just 21 games due to injury, but she is one of the better two-way players in the nation on the transfer market.
The 6-foot-2 forward co-starred with Audi Crooks for Iowa State the past few seasons and was a part of the mass exodus from the Cyclones’ program.
The Bruins reeled in former North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarnisalo and former Texas Christian senior guard Donovyn Hunter a few weeks ago, adding two more experienced players to the depleted starting lineup after a record six UCLA players were selected in the WNBA draft.
UCLA also signed Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas earlier this month. She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form somewhat of a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but missed all of this past season with injury and has one season of eligibility left.
A lineup with Deas and Aarnisalo in the backcourt, Hunter at the three and Gardiner or Brown at the four and adding another big or Sienna Betts at the five would be a competitive lineup in the Big Ten.
Before going to TCU, Hunter played two seasons at Oregon State where she earned All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honorable mention and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. This past season with a Horned Frogs team that went to the Sweet 16, she was third in scoring with 10.2 points per game and averaged 3.2 rebounds per contest. She also shot 45.7% from the field and was 33.7% from beyond the arc.
Aarnisalo played her freshman year in Westwood after she originally committed to UCLA in 2025. Due to injuries from point guard Kiki Rice at the start of the 2024-25 season, she was forced into action early her freshman season and finished the year averaging 5.1 points per game.
The Helsinki, Finland, native averaged 10.2 points per game for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.3% from the arc. The Bruins will desperately need to replace the three-point production lost with the departure of Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.
UCLA coach Cori Close said she wanted to sign five players from the portal. She probably needs one more guard and a little more forward depth coming off the bench following the departures of Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic.
Lena Bilic and Amanda Muse are returners coming off the bench who got a little bit of playing time in the tournament and should have much larger roles, but they are still relatively unproven in late-game situations. They will get a chance to develop as backups with some more Power Four experienced starters now in the fold.
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
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