Jim Hostler excited to work with OC Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions’ offense

Jim Hostler is entering his 24th NFL season coaching and his first as the Detroit Lions’ senior offensive assistant after spending the past three seasons with the Washington Commanders, serving as their senior offensive assistant from 2021-22 and wide receivers coach in 2020.

Hostler, 56, has held just about every offensive coaching job there is in the NFL over the course of his career at 11 different stops. The youth and enthusiasm of the coaching staff here and the intelligence of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson are what stood out to him about his current opportunity in Detroit

“When you get older and you start to be my age … your lifeblood is the younger coaches,” Hostler said Wednesday. “You start to look around and notice. You’re watching how they coach their teams. How they play. Because those are the kind of guys you want to attach yourself to so you can further your career.”