What to know about Ben Johnson, the Bears' new head coach
Getting to know the new Bears head coach:
Ben Johnson
Born: May 11, 1986 (age 38)
From: Fairview, N.C.
Playing experience: Johnson spent four seasons at North Carolina, where he began as a walk-on and served as a backup quarterback. He graduated in 2008 with degrees in mathematics and computer science.
Work experience: Johnson started his career as a graduate assistant at Boston College. He became a low-level offensive assistant for the Dolphins in 2012 and was promoted to tight ends coach in the middle of the 2015 season. The man he replaced was Dan Campbell, who was promoted to Dolphins interim head coach and eventually became the Lions’ head coach. In 2019, Johnson joined the Lions as a quality control coach, making $40,000 for six months, before being named tight ends coach in 2020. He stayed with the Lions after coach Matt Patricia was fired and became Campbell’s first official hire. He was promoted to passing-game coordinator midway through the 2021 season and was named offensive coordinator in 2022. Since 2022, the Lions lead the NFL in points and yards.
Family: Johnson and wife Jessica have three kids: daughters Emory and Halle and son Kennedy.
Fun facts: At 14, Johnson had a perfect score on the Mathematical Association of America’s AMC 8 test. He later tutored UNC athletes in math. As a low-level NFL assistant, he came up with a software innovation to better help coaches show pictures in team meetings.