3 assistants Seahawks could steal from Lions if Seattle hires Ben Johnson
By Lee Vowell
The Seattle Seahawks are still searching for their next head coach after removing Pete Carroll from the job after the season. Seattle's decision might not be made until next week at the earliest. The Seahawks might be waiting until Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's or Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald's seasons are done if and when their teams lose in the playoffs.
For this article, I am going to assume the Seahawks hire Johnson. I do not know what Seattle is going to do, of course, as not even the Seahawks know that yet. But Johnson is a hot name among potential head coaches right now and he should be on Seattle's short-list of coaches to replace Carroll.
Assuming Johnson comes to Seattle, he probably is going to want to bring some Lions coaches with him. He has been a successful OC in Detroit and he will want coaches with him who know what to expect from Johnson. These three coaches might make great additions for Seattle.
Three coaches Ben Johnson might bring to the Seattle Seahawks
Hank Fraley, offensive line coach
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Fraley would likely follow Johnson if and when Johnson leaves to become a head coach. Seattle will definitely need an offensive line coach as well as offensive coordinator Shane Waldron left to be the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears and he could take Andy Dickerson with him. 12s should hope he does because while Dickerson looked good early in the 2023 season with a patchwork Seattle offensive line, the line looked worse the healthier they became.
Fraley has been with the Lions for four seasons and Detroit had the fourth-best line in the NFL in 2023, according to Pro Football Network. This is not simply because of talent but because Fraley is able to get his line to adjust during games to what the defense is doing while also working within the Lions' overall scheme.
Scottie Montgomery, Assistant Head coach/running backs coach
Montgomery has worked in a variety of roles over his coaching career, including being a head coach at East Carolina for three seasons, but he has only worked as a wide receivers coach and running backs coach in the NFL. He worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers receivers from 2010 to 2012 and then after going to coach in college returned to coach the running backs for the Indianapolis Colts from 2021 to 2022.
Montgomery joined the Lions in 2023 and has helped rookie Jahmyr Gibbs become extremely valuable. Montgomery also had success with the Colts with Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss. Montgomery should be able to work his magic with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet in Seattle.
Mark Brunell, quarterbacks coach
Brunell hasn't been in coaching very long above the high school level. He didn't coach any college teams and then became the Lions quarterbacks coach in 2021. Maybe some of Jared Goff's success over the last couple of seasons has been due to how Ben Johnson has used him, but Brunell should get his due as well.
Brunell played in the league for 18 years so he knows a thing or eight about how to be good in the NFL. He also works well with veteran quarterbacks, clearly. Brunell coming over to coach Geno Smith should only make Smith better.
Seattle could win the offseason with the right hire, and you can win this week thanks to FanDuel and DraftKings! Just sign up, deposit $10 or more and then bet $5 or more on Niners vs. Lions at each sportsbook. You'll win $350 in bonus bets, guaranteed! Sign up for FanDuel and DraftKings today.