Gerald Herbert/AP Photos
Dennis Allen knows what kind of support Ben Johnson needs as a head coach.
The reason: he was Johnson once. Allen, the Bears’ new defensive coordinator, was a 39-year-old first-time head coach when the Raiders started their 2012 regular season. Johnson will be 39 when the Bears play their first game with him as their head coach.
“I think sometimes we can learn through other people’s trials and tribulations instead of having to go through them ourselves — I think that’s a better way to learn,” Allen said Thursday.