The Bears are one of a handful of teams in the market to hire a new head coach this off-season. They let Matt Nagy go after his fourth season with the team.
Let’s take a look at the current crop of candidates. Profiled below are the coaches that the Bears have already interviewed as of the time this article was published.
Doug Pederson
Pederson is a popular name this off-season, having interviewed already with Vikings and Broncos as well. And rightfully so, as he is only a few years’ removed from his upset Super Bowl victory over Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. He received tons of credit for that whole playoff run since the Eagles were operating with their backup quarterback, Nick Foles.
This is Pederson’s calling card. He would definitely fall under the “offensive-minded” category of coaches, and supposedly can do great work with young quarterbacks. Bears’ fans will be hoping the next head coach can mold Justin Fields into a winner as soon as possible. However, they may be wary of another offensive-minded coach from the Andy Reid coaching tree. It may sound too familiar given their most recent head coach.
Brian Flores
Flores finished his tenure in Miami with a 24-25 record. The former Bill Belichick employee was let go due to some clashing with the front office, but has become a popular target for teams in search of their next leader.
The Dolphins had a very up-and-down season this past year. They lost seven in a row before winning seven in a row, but still missed the playoffs. One consistent strength of the Flores-led Dolphins, however, was a much improved defense. The Bears have some very nice core defensive pieces, and an established, defensive-minded head coach could be poised for success. The rumor mill has suggested that Flores wants to be the lead decision-maker, with the team’s new GM having slightly less say. This would be contrary to the reports coming out of Chicago that suggest McCaskey is looking to hire a GM first. Regardless, the Bears seem quite interested in Flores.
Nathaniel Hackett
Could the Bears find their next head coach on their rivals’ sideline? It’s definitely possible. Hackett has been the Packers’ offensive coordinator since 2019, and has developed a respected reputation from many throughout the league. Aaron Rodgers has delivered high praise for his OC as well, and Hackett is a top candidate to find a head coaching position for next season.
It is worth mentioning, though, that Hackett is not the play caller in Green Bay. Matt LaFleur currently calls the offensive plays for the Packers. And while it is note-worthy, could it potentially be a good thing for the Bears? Fans in Chicago have had to watch Matt Nagy struggle to effectively run the offense, and even he recognized the issue by delegating the play-calling to OC Bill Lazor after Week 4 this season. Perhaps if Hackett can be the motivator to coach-up Justin Fields, it could be beneficial to not have the head coach meddle in the play-calling duties.
Jim Caldwell
The former Lions’ coach has the endorsements of some big names. According to Peter King of NBCSports, “Caldwell is the steady hand that Tony Dungy is beyond convinced is going to give a young team, and a young quarterback, a great chance.” In addition to having Dungy in his corner, King mentions that Bill Polian also thinks Caldwell is a good fit. He even went on to say that Caldwell deserved more time in Detroit.
Caldwell did finish six games above .500 with the Lions, which is an impressive feat. The Bears may consider him the perfect head coach to develop Justin Fields. If he is the “steady hand” that Dungy says he is, Caldwell could be good candidate to establish more overall consistency for a Bears’ team that has talent at a lot of positions.
Brian Daboll
Daboll is another popular name currently given the recent success of the Bills’ offense. Among the many reasons he is being considered is his success in developing the talented Josh Allen. Should he get hired in Chicago, he will have another young QB that is also an elite athlete.
The Bears are committed to Justin Fields, and with Daboll’s track record, it’s hard to argue his fit as the next head coach. Similar to Josh Allen’s start in the league, Fields has shown flashes but has made a lot of mistakes. Now, Allen is considered elite. I think Fields has the potential to be elite as well.
Matt Eberflus
George McCaskey has said that the Bears won’t necessarily look for an offensive or defensive-minded head coach. But, with the development of Justin Fields being the top priority going into next season, I would not be surprised to see them go offensive.
That being said, Eberflus is a respected name around the league, and is expected to get a head coaching chance soon. He is credited with turning around a dismal Colts’ defense, and was given an endorsement by his current head coach, Frank Reich.
Byron Leftwich
The former NFL QB is currently leading the Buccaneers’ offense in the playoffs. He is the most recent to interview for the Bears head coach opening, and has also been linked to the Jacksonville job. Obviously, the Bucs have a a very good offense, but that is to be expected with Tom Brady at QB. To be fair, Leftwich was also the OC in 2019 when the Buccaneers were 3rd in the league in points per game with Jameis Winston. They only went 7-9 that season, but their offense was productive.
I have no insider information, but it seems to make sense that Leftwich would take over in Jacksonville, where he played for three years.
Other names in the mix
The Bears have also been linked to Dallas DC Dan Quinn, New Orleans DC Dennis Allen, Tampa Bay DC Todd Bowles, and Buffalo DC Leslie Frazier. All of these coaches have head coaching experience and are known as elite defensive minds around the league.
So, who should the next coach be?
It has been really fun reading people’s opinions on who the next Bears head coach should be. There is a lot variety among fans as to what is more important in the next coach.
For me? The next coach does not need to be “offensive-minded” or “defensive-minded.” In fact I am not a big fan of those labels anyhow. A head coach has to be well-rounded to be in charge of the whole team.
I want the person who is best-equipped to build around Justin Fields. I know it’s cliche, but he is the Bears future. The Bears are not “a quarterback away” from a title-contending team, so I don’t believe they’ll trade for one. They also have very little draft capital this year, partly due to believing that Fields is the guy.
So, I want the next coach to not only commit to Fields, but to be excited to have the opportunity. The next coach also does not need to be a “quarterback whisperer,” but should be full of ideas on how to develop Fields.
What do you think?
The purpose here is to keep the discussion going. Let me know who you prefer the Bears hire. What’s the most important attribute for a head coach to have?
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