Eagles promote QB coach Brian Johnson to offensive coordinator

Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator, replacing new Colts head coach Shane Steichen.

Philadelphia lost offensive coordinator Steichen to Indianapolis and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon left to become head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

Johnson has known Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts for two decades. Hurts was a 4-year-old ballboy at Baytown Lee High School in Texas when Johnson played quarterback and Hurts' father, Averion, was a coach.

Johnson, a quarterback at Utah, will assume play-calling duties under head coach Nick Sirianni. The Eagles have not named a replacement for Gannon, who also took linebackers coach Nick Rallis as his defensive coordinator in Arizona.

Johnson, 36, spent two years as quarterbacks coach of the Eagles. He previous coached in the college ranks at Florida, Houston, Mississippi State and Utah. As quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State, Johnson led the recruiting efforts of Channelview High School (Texas) quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Hurts and Sirianni credited Johnson for much of the team's offensive success in 2022.

Sirianni said Johnson was "huge" in Hurts' development but also influential in his articulation of the offense and scheme to players at other positions.

"Brian is also very gifted in the sense of helping be able to scheme, even though he wasn't the offensive coordinator last year, he still helps a great deal with our schemes and the way we're attacking defenses in the run game, in the pass game, in the protection world, in situationals," Sirianni said. "He's been a great influence, obviously, for Jalen. And Jalen's done a nice job, obviously. But it's a good relationship of those two guys because I do believe that's helped Jalen become a better player."