'This is exactly where we wanted to be' – Bears' head coach Ben Johnson arrives to the team facilities for the first time and received a warm welcome
Yesterday wasn't a dream. Ben Johnson has officially arrived to the team facilities and will soon be announced as the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.The 38-year-old was the prized candidate of the last three head coaching cycles and it seems like landing in Chicago was always his desire for the next step in […]
Yesterday wasn't a dream. Ben Johnson has officially arrived to the team facilities and will soon be announced as the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.
The 38-year-old was the prized candidate of the last three head coaching cycles and it seems like landing in Chicago was always his desire for the next step in his career.
Soon after the Detroit Lions' season ended over the weekend, the Bears ironed out the final calls and sent the plane on Monday evening to pick up Johnson and his family just outside of Detroit, Michigan.
On Tuesday morning, the plane landed back in Chicago and Johnson arrived to the team facilities for the first time to sign his new contract. Upon his arrival in the atrium, Johnson was greeted by cheers and applause from the employees inside.
Once the crowd finally died down, Johnson jokingly told everyone to get back to work and then added that landing in Chicago with the Bears was always his goal.
"This is exactly where we wanted to be," Johnson said to the crowd of employees surrounding him. "This is going to be a challenge. I am well aware of that. I know what this division is about. And this is exactly where we want to be. We're going to go after this thing and it's going to take all of us in this room, it's going to take this locker room, there's nothing more important than that locker room and us serving that locker room and those players. They need to feel that from us every single day. And if we do that, the wins are going to come."
The Bears felt the same way and make sure that was known. Untraditionally, the Bears decided to go through with hiring Johnson without even meeting with him in-person. The only meeting between the two sides came on January 11th during Johnson's virtual interview, but the Bears couldn't afford to lose him.
What they could afford was Johnson's contract, which is rumored to be somewhere around $13 million per year, which is unheard of for a first-time head coach.
The Bears believe this is the guy that can finally turn the franchise around and they moved quick and urgently to make sure they were the ones that locked him in. And Johnson seems to be thrilled that the Bears made it happen.
"A proven leader with winning pedigree and a mind toward innovation, we are excited to welcome Ben and his family to Chicago as our head coach," general manager Ryan Poles said via the team's official statement. "It is undeniable how passionate Ben is for serving in the role of head coach of the Chicago Bears, and we are primed, equipped and excited to welcome him and his family to Chicago and to commence our process of building a championship-caliber team, together. This is just the beginning."
Ben Johnson might already be getting a head start toward putting together his first coaching staff with the Chicago Bears
This would be another slam dunk hire.
