On January 21, 2025, 39-year-old Ben Johnson was named the 18th head coach of the Chicago Bears. When I heard he was a former UNC quarterback, I did a double take. Ben who? Having watched nearly every UNC football game since my undergrad days in the late 70s and early 80s, I was surprised I did not remember him as a Tar Heel. I certainly knew Johnson as the offensive mastermind of the Detroit Lions offense, who along with head coach Dan Campbell resurrected the moribund franchise and turned them into a premier NFC team.
It turns out that Johnson was a backup walk-on and, as he explained in our conversation, never really got a chance to take game snaps under center during his Tar Heel career from 2004-07. The Fairview, N.C. native earned degrees in mathematics and computer science before departing Chapel Hill.
The relationships he built with members of the coaching staff paved the way for the future head man in Chicago, albeit with a one-year experiment in trying to make a go of life in the non-sports world.
When he was introduced to the Windy City media, I took advantage of a brief moment before he was rushed off to his next meeting to introduce myself as a Tar Heel grad as well.
"Now we're talking!" he said with a big, broad smile, that epitomizes his positive attitude and the energy he brings to the job.
All coaches are excited at new opportunities, but there is something special about Johnson. You can sense it in his press briefings and his interactions with his players.
"I think what sticks out with Ben and this staff is just how detail-oriented they are," said Bears tight end Cole Kmet. "You can feel that in the meetings and they're relentless on the details. I think that's something that may be a little bit unique from what I've had in the past. Not saying other coaches weren't detailed, but it's like an obsession with the details and you can feel that from him. He just can't let it go. You feel that from him, whether it's on the field or in the meeting room, he brings that with him wherever he's at."
Six weeks later, at another press event to introduce new free agents, I again approached Johnson. It was during the ACC Basketball tournament, and seeing me, he first asked me how the Heels had done that day. They won their game, and he was very happy to hear that. In turn, I inquired if he would be interested in doing an interview for Inside Carolina, and without hesitating, he said yes.
It took another three months to work out the logistics, but between offseason workouts in May and early June, and training camp this coming July, the team made him available for a Zoom call. We discussed everything from his time in Chapel Hill to how he ended up back in coaching, and even inquired about his thoughts on new coach Bill Belichick.