As head coach Ben Johnson made his arrival to the Chicago Bears, he carefully stocked his coaching staff with faces old and new. He wanted experienced minds who will help get him acclimated to life as a head coach. At the same time, he wanted to Bears to be infused with fresh ideas.
One name that didn’t change upon Johnson’s arrival was special teams coordinator Richard Hightower. He has been with the Bears since 2022 and has been coaching in the NFL since 2006. Hightower will certainly have plenty of insight for Johnson as he begins his head coach tenure.
It hasn’t taken long, but Johnson has already made a strong first impression on the special teams coordinator. As training camp rages on, the head coach earned a glowing endorsement from the well traveled Hightower, via CHGO.
“I can tell you, we got a damn good head coach here,” Hightower said. “You guys just watch.”
Richard Hightower coaching history
It’s not shocking to see an assistant back their head coach. But when it came to Hightower’s message, it raises a few eyebrows. The special teams ace has been around plenty of talented head coaches in career. The fact Hightower already thinks so highly of Johnson is telling.
Hightower played his college football under the legendary head coach Mack Brown. When he joined the NFL as an assistant with the Houston Texans, Super Bowl champion Gary Kubiak was his head coach. Eventually, Hightower joined the then Washington Redskins, linking up with Mike and Kyle Shanahan.
He would follow the latter to the San Francisco 49ers when Shanahan was named head coach. The 2017 marked the first time Hightower earned the full title of special teams coordinator. He stayed in the Bay until making his leap to the Windy City.
Hightower understands the lofty expectations placed on Chicago’s shoulders. But he is also confident Johnson is the right man to the lead the Bears to success.
Chicago Bears counting on Ben Johnson
Chicago’s main goal throughout the offseason was building around quarterback Caleb Williams. They gave him a new offensive line and even more playmakers to target. But hiring Johnson as head coach will be the key to helping Williams reach his No. 1 pick potential.
During his time with the Detroit Lions, Johnson helped the franchise reach unforeseen franchise heights. During the 2024 campaign, Detroit ranked second in total offense, averaging 409.5 yards per game. Quarterback Jared Goff finished second in passing yards (4,269) and fourth in touchdowns (37).
For all of Johnson’s offensive magic, it won’t be as simply fixing the Bears. Williams gives him a strong building block to work with. However, this is a Chicago team coming off a season in which they ranked dead last in total offense, averaging 284.6 YPG.
If Johnson is able to elevate the Bears offense to new heights, Chicago will look like a much different team for all the right reasons in 2025. Hightower is confident that’ll be the case. Now it’s up to the Bears, and specifically Johnson, to prove their special teams coordinator correct.
