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Champion Head Coach Gives Strong Comments on Lions Reported OC Hire

By Chris Schad

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks with reporters about the third day of OTAs Thursday, May 25, 2023. Near the end of the press conference Campbell had fun taking a few questions about his t-shirt with GM Brad Holmes on the front.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks with reporters about the third day of OTAs Thursday, May 25, 2023. Near the end of the press conference Campbell had fun taking a few questions about his t-shirt with GM Brad Holmes on the front. / Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Detroit Lions have lost a lot from their coaching staff, but there may not be enough attention on who is coming in. While losing coordinators Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson to head coaching jobs hurts, Dan Campbell has started to rebuild beginning with the hiring of John Morton.

Morton was chosen as Johnson’s successor as offensive coordinator on Tuesday morning and has big shoes to fill. The Lions had the league’s top-scoring offense under Johnson last season and many are wondering if the external hire was the right route considering Detroit’s culture is a big reason for their success.

But a former Super Bowl champion has already given Morton a ringing endorsement and thinks the Lions’ offense is in good hands going forward..

Jon Gruden Believes Jon Morton is a Perfect Fit for the Detroit Lions

Former Las Vegas Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden said in an interview with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that he believed the Lions would make a fantastic decision in bringing Morton aboard prior to Tuesday morning’s report. 

“I hope Detroit gets him,” said. “I know there’s other teams that are trying to get him and I know Denver doesn’t want to lose him. But…if you can add Johnny Morton, that’d be a good reason to have a glass of cabernet, the best one you got.”

Gruden gave Morton his first coaching opportunity as an offensive assistant with the Raiders in 2002 and has worked his way through the ranks including a stint as the offensive coordinator with the New York Jets in 2017. While Morton has bounced around since then, he spent the last two seasons as the passing game coordinator with the Denver Broncos.

Gruden believes Morton can acclimate quickly to his new team as he saw hints of what he ran with the Raiders in Johnson’s offense. He also added that Morton has a “top-notch” ability to develop game plans and is “at the top of the food chain” in terms of coaches he has worked with in the past.

With an elite cast of weapons including Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, David Montgomery and Sam LaPorta, Gruden believes Morton can thrive in Detroit. While he also admitted losing Johnson was a blow, the former Super Bowl winner also thinks that Morton can help them maintain their success in 2025.

“You’re losing a well-known coordinator but still have a lot of really good coaches on that staff,” Gruden said. “Morton, he was one of the masterminds that helped put the scheme together.”

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