Ted Phillips

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren In Consideration For Bears’ President Role

December 30th, 2022 at 9:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

At the start of the 2022 regular season, it was announced that Ted Phillips would be stepping aside from his position as president and CEO of the Bears at the end of the year. A notable name has emerged as a serious candidate to succeed him.

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren has drawn interest from Chicago, as detailed by Matt Fortuna, Adam Jahns, Nicole Auerbach, Max Olson and Dan Pompei of The Athletic (subscription required). They report that Warren has interviewed with the Bears on at least two occasions for the position, as the team continues to undergo a lengthy search for their first new president since 1999.

Warren, 59, began a lengthy NFL executive career with the Rams in 1997. His time there was followed by a three-year stint with the Lions and 15 years in Minnesota. That stretch included the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium – a feat of considerable importance to the Bears at the moment, as one of their front office’s top priorities is replacing Soldier Field.

It is Warren’s time with the Vikings (which ended in 2019) in particular which has led to the Bears showing considerable interest in hiring him, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He adds that Warren has interviewed in person for the position as one of the finalists to be offered the role. The only other candidate to be publicly named is Cubs chief commercial officer Colin Faulkner.

For the past three years, Warren has served as the Big Ten’s commissioner. His tenure was met with controversy and criticism due to his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which ultimately led to a shortened season taking place. More recently, his most notable moves have been the agreement which will see USC and UCLA join the conference in 2024, along with a ten-figure media broadcast rights deal which takes effect next year. 2022 is the first season in the Big Ten’s history in which two of its teams (second-ranked Michigan and No. 4 seed Ohio State) have qualified for the College Football Playoff.

On the subject of a timeframe for when a hire will be announced, the Bears said in a statement, “We have not set a timeline for announcing Ted Phillips’ successor. Our search team has cast a wide net, spoken to many outstanding candidates and looks forward to introducing our next president and CEO at the process’s conclusion.”

Thamel notes that Warren has not been given an extension since his tenure with the Big Ten began, though the particulars of his contract are not known. In the future, however, he could be in line for a move bringing him back to front office work at the pro level.

Bears President Ted Phillips To Retire After 2022 Season

September 2nd, 2022 at 12:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

Roster-building has been much of the focus around the league this past week, but an announcement has been made by the Bears with significant front office implications. President and CEO Ted Phillips will retire at the conclusion of the 2022 season, ending nearly four decades of work for the organization.

“When COVID came, it changed a lot of dynamics and gave me some time to reflect on my life, my work life,” the 65-year-old said, via Dan Pompei of The Athletic (subscription required). “I came to the conclusion that, my gosh, almost 40 years is a long time. It’s time to hand over the baton and give myself the gift of time… I feel good. My health is good. I felt it was time to slow down and do whatever I want to do.”

Phillips has served in his current role since 1999, when he became the fourth president in franchise history and the first not related to George Halas. Principally working on the financial side of the organization, Phillips held three previous titles dating back to 1983. Chief among his notable efforts was the renovation of Soldier Field which greatly boosted the value of the franchise and gave the team a long-term assurance with respect to its home stadium.

When asked about Phillips, chairman George McCaskey said, “He’s been an outstanding leader for the Bears. Peerless is the word that comes to mind.” The search for Phillips’ successor has already begun, though no candidates have been named as of yet.

The Bears were rumored to be contemplating a major shake-up in their power structure last year, with former player and current coaching agent Trace Armstrong named as the potential incoming top executive. Instead, the team moved on from GM Ryan Pace and HC Matt Nagy, replacing them with Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus, respectively.

Phillips’ tenure includes the Bears’ Super Bowl XLI loss, but just three playoff appearances since. That lack of success has led to questions about his level of involvement with player personnel decisions, something he repeated was the responsibility of the GMs working under him.

“The Achilles heel of the Bears for many decades,” he admitted, “has been to have the right quarterback in place who is not only talented but can lead and raise the talent level around him. In my opinion, having the head coach or general manager report differently would not have changed any of that.”

Philips is stepping away from his position, but will still be a key player in the efforts to secure a new stadium location in the near future. His final reflections on the past 23 years, though, speak to his level of enjoyment over that span: “It’s honestly been a dream come true to work for such a treasured franchise and a family with the most humble people you can imagine,” he said. “My career has been a joy every day.”

Bears Considering Front Office Changes

December 23rd, 2021 at 10:12am CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Nagy is not expected to be retained for a fourth season as Bears head coach, but the team is not certain to oust GM Ryan Pace. However, Pace’s status is among the matters being debated within the organization.

Firing Pace and potentially revamping the organizational structure are scenarios chairman George McCaskey is considering, according to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns (subscription required). Last month, a report emerged indicating Pace could well be back to hire a third coach. But the Bears have lost three of their past four games since then, with the lone win coming over the Lions. They are now 4-10, having dropped eight of their past nine.

McCaskey has completed early groundwork on making changes, per Jahns, who adds team president Ted Phillips is not a lock to stay in his role. While the Bears should not be expected to fire their longtime president, the prospect of Pace or another GM reporting directly to McCaskey in the future is on the table. The past three Bears GMs — Jerry Angelo, Phil Emery and Pace — have reported to Phillips, who serves as the team’s top non-McCaskey executive.

A Phillips retirement looms as a possibility, Jahns adds. Phillips has been in his post since 1999. His role as the exec between the GM and McCaskey became a point of contention during the Bears’ previous GM hiring cycle. Former Bears exec Chris Ballard, who was up for the job Pace landed, wanted to restructure the front office were he hired in 2015. That desire caused the Bears to move in a different direction. Ballard stayed with the Chiefs before becoming Colts GM.

Should they remain in their current roles, Phillips and Pace would be McCaskey’s point men in replacing Nagy, who is set to close a sub-.500 season for the first time. The Bears, however, have won one playoff game since advancing to Super Bowl XLI. The Buccaneers and Cardinals have benefited from allowing their GMs to hire a third head coach, with Jason Licht eventually signing Tom Brady and Steve Keim adding the Kliff Kingsbury–Kyler Murray duo. The Chargers have also allowed their GM, Tom Telesco, to select three HCs.

McCaskey keeping Pace on would not be a popular decision in Chicago, given his decision to trade up for Mitchell Trubisky in 2017, but he was also behind the team’s Justin Fields move. It would not shock if the first-time GM stuck around to help see that plan take shape. If the Bears keep Pace, he would certainly enter 2022 on a hotter seat. The franchise may need to act quicker than usual on the firing front, with the NFL now permitting teams with HC vacancies to interview candidates next week. Pace would stand to be at the center of the team’s next HC-hiring process, should be stay on as GM. The Bears have never fired a coach in-season.