The Bears have not seen a coach stick around for a long-term stay since Lovie Smith, having seen Matt Nagy‘s tenure stop at four years and Matt Eberflus‘ end before Year 3 was done. As they hope to find a leader who can maximize Caleb Williams — or one whose OC hire will do so — the Bears are keeping their options open.
Ryan Poles said the Bears might have some surprises in this search, via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. A trade for a head coach is also not something Poles will rule out. Trades for HCs’ rights are not too common, but they have produced splashy results in the modern era.
Sean Payton has turned the Broncos around after their disastrous Nathaniel Hackett season, while Bruce Arians‘ unretirement keyed a Buccaneers Super Bowl win. Turn-of-the-century deals involving Bill Belichick, Jon Gruden and Mike Holmgren also all produced Super Bowl appearances, with the Patriots’ play yielding this century’s best run of success. First-round picks changed hands in the Payton, Belichick and Gruden trades. A second went to the Packers for Holmgren, while a late-round pick swap brought Arians to Tampa.
The Bears have not gone down this road. To be fair, they are far from the only team not to have done so. Speculation about a Kyle Shanahan-to-Chicago trade did not take off, with 49ers brass quickly confirming the two-time NFC champion HC was not going anywhere. Kevin O’Connell, oddly, came up in trade rumors as well. This may pertain to potential Vikings extension talks, but multiple teams have expressed interest in acquiring the high-end play-caller’s rights. While an intra-division trade involving O’Connell would be extremely unlikely, a call to the Browns on what it would take to obtain the recently extended Kevin Stefanski — slated to stay in Cleveland, as his team is trapped with the Deshaun Watson contract — would make sense.
As far as who will be making this call for the Bears, Poles is still leading the charge. Though, candidates are curious as to president Kevin Warren‘s role within the organization. Previously viewed as a business-side boss, Warren has instead been playing a regular role in personnel. Warren joins Poles, owner George McCaskey, co-director of player personnel Jeff King, director of football administration Matt Feinstein and executive VP Liz Geist on the search committee.
Assistant GM Ian Cunningham represents an interesting omission, but ESPN.com’s Cronin adds the three-year Bears exec would be added to the committee if efforts to secure a promotion elsewhere to not pan out. Cunningham faced off with 49ers exec Adam Peters in the finals for the Commanders’ GM job last year and has interviewed elsewhere since arriving in Chicago. He has not received any interview requests yet this year, though only two teams — the Jets and Titans — are hiring. The Tennessee opening also only emerged Tuesday morning.
McCaskey is not expected to play a lead role here, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, who indicates Poles and Warren will instead shape this hire. Potentially helping to explain any potential trade rumors involving this job opening, a source told Jones that Warren may want a splashier hire to help his stadium project — one that has seen some twists and turns since it launched — across the goal line. The team has scheduled a Mike Vrabel meeting, and Lions OC Ben Johnson — a long-rumored target — is expected to interview as well. The Bears have also reached out to the Cowboys on Mike McCarthy but have not heard back. McCarthy’s Dallas HC contract expires January 14.
Via PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is how the Bears’ search stands so far:
- Bill Belichick, head coach (North Carolina): Expressed interest
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Mentioned as candidate
- Thomas Brown, interim head coach (Bears: Interview expected
- Pete Carroll, former head coach (Seahawks): Interested in job
- Brian Flores, defensive coordinator (Vikings): Interview requested
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview expected
- Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator (Giants): Interview requested
- Kliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interview expected
- Mike McCarthy, head coach (Cowboys): Interview requested
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interview requested
- Drew Petzing, offensive coordinator (Cardinals): Interview requested
- David Shaw, senior personnel executive (Broncos): Interview requested
- Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator (Steelers): Interview requested
- Mike Vrabel, former head coach (Titans): To interview 1/8
- Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Interview requested
What coach worth trading for would another team actually trade? Looking at how these hiring cycles go should remind teams with good, stable coaching situations not to mess with a good thing.
There comes a point where a good coach (KoC for example) would be worth trading for the Vikings. Obviously the return would need to blow them away, but a couple impact players on the field outweighs a great coach off it.
I think KOC is a perfect counterexample to your point. It’s much easier to find a couple of impact players on the field than a coach who can take Sam Darnold off the scrap heap and get him to play like a franchise quarterback.
It’s just stupid. It’s the kind of move a team makes when they don’t trust their own judgment. Hell, if they’ve gone that far, trade for a great GM.
Just hire Ben Johnson man. Common.
You know as much as I had hoped the Bears were going to do things right this time , Whenever somebody opens his mouth I just get more and more disillusioned. Now you have Warren saying things like 1 year is a long time and preparing to let Poles run the search for the new coach and talking out of the other side of his mouth. Now it would be just like the Bears to hire a new head coach and then fire the GM the next year and throw the whole thing out of whack again. These idiots will never get it. They really are clueless.
Could’ve had Jim H or Sean P. Could’ve at least interviewed BB. But nah, go with another cheap rookie coordinator and cross fingers. Another bad 3 years, rinse and repeat. Warren has no business in the HC search at all. Poles doesn’t want to hire someone smarter than him, who gets him fired. The franchise deserves better than what they’ve given the fans. BTW, BB came out and questioned why they try to build outside in, when they play outdoors in bad weather. Why not build the lines first then build out? Can’t air out the ball in bad weather. That’s the kind of stuff that embarasses Poles. Jim H took an OL 1st Rd and a no name WR in the 2nd, and made him a pro bowl player. Denver ascending too with their rookie QB. Now they’re in the playoffs. Total mess in Chicago. Maybe they’ll trade for a CFL HC.
Harbaugh and Payton were not coming here. They haven’t gone with anybody yet and experienced people are being interviewed. Poles wants to hire someone who is successful, so he keeps his job. The fans deserve better than what the franchise has done. You can’t throw the ball in bad weather? Let me introduce you to Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Aaron Rodgers (in GB and prime), etc. BB didn’t win anything without Brady and is only embarrassing to his GF. Ladd McConkey was not a no name on one of the best college programs in Georgia. Saying a lot of stuff does not make it accurate, though that does seem to work these days.
They’re casting a super wide net and throwing anything at the wall to see if it sticks, they have no idea who or what they’re looking for
4 years a lot for a org as dysfunctional as CHI.
Kind of a pathetic way to go about it. Create your own program, don’t take someone else’s.
A never FA guy. People steal/lure talent away every day in all facets of business and life.
Too bad Robert Kraft didn’t know about this. He could have offered Mayo for a 9th round pick and a bottle of Gatorade.
I’m off this Saturday if they want to interview me.
It’s too late for the Bears to trade Velus Jones for Andy Reed but perhaps the Chiefs would accept Marcedes Lewis instead 🙂