LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Richard Hightower has been around some excellent coaches in his career. He cut his teeth around Kyle Shanahan, Robert Saleh and Mike McDaniel, to name a few.

The Bears’ special teams coordinator has worked for some top head coaches in their own right, like Mike Shanahan and Gary Kubiak. He has seen how well head coaches conduct themselves and which ones are destined for big things.

Hightower’s instincts say Ben Johnson has got what it takes. He had no problem saying so during his Monday morning press conference at Halas Hall.

The topic came up when Hightower was asked if he believed McDaniel would be a head coach, a query made timely with Friday’s joint practice against the Miami Dolphins on the immediate horizon. Hightower localized his answer, starting with McDaniel and then focusing on his current boss.

“I’ve been very fortunate to be around a number of guys that became head coaches,” Hightower said in his Monday press conference. “DeMeco Ryans is another one. I shared an office with Sean McVay. So I’ve been fortunate. I know what a good coach looks like, because I’ve been around all of them. So I can tell for a fact, we got a good head coach here. A damn good head coach. I’m just telling you. I know what they look like. I’ve been around them.”

Hightower always kept tabs on Johnson when Johnson was in the NFC North as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, but hadn’t worked with him previously. Johnson retained Hightower when filling out his staff, which allowed the veteran assistant to see him work up close.

“When you work with him and you can see the attention to detail and how he meticulously looks at everything no matter what it is,” Hightower said, “dives deep into things and has an eye — real head coaches have an eye for things when they happen and they’re able to anticipate stuff.”

Hightower’s experience in identifying good head coaches gave him confidence to heap such praise on Johnson, who he says doesn’t seem like a first-time head coach.

“I’m just telling you guys the truth,” Hightower said. “I don’t want to make it seem like we gotta sit here and kiss his butt. I’m not doing that. He knows I don’t do that. I’m just telling you the truth. You asked me the question; I’m always going to tell you the truth. So I just see a special guy in that way.” 

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