There is a wild card in this entire Chicago Bears head coach situation. Most fans and media believe that John Fox is on the cusp of getting fired. Going 12-29 overall and 1-5 against the Packers is not a recipe that keeps a man employed in this town. Problem is nobody knows for sure how GM Ryan Pace feels. Assuming he still holds power over the football decisions, it’s his call as to whether Fox gets the boot or not.
All signs have pointed to the two having at least a liking for each other. That relationship could lead to Fox once again avoiding the ax, regardless of what happens this season. The key, as most believe, is the progression of rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky. The results thus far are mixed. The top overall pick has done a good job protecting the ball and hitting some big plays. He’s also looked gun shy at times and been sacked 16 times in five games.
There are plenty of excuses to go around but the NFL is a bottom line business. Fox is neither winning nor doing enough to protect the biggest investment this franchise has made in almost a decade. That’s why the calls for a change grow louder by the day. Of course change is scary, and some are concerned about the idea. They think continuity is still worth something.
So why can this team hope to do better?
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Bears head coach search would have new advantages
The key factor in all of this is Pace himself. Presuming he’s not fired as well, the decision of the next coach would fall to him. Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times brought up an excellent point regarding what happened three years ago when he hired Fox. Namely he was at a disadvantage in the searching and interviewing process from the start.
“Before Pace was hired, McCaskey, Phillips and special advisor Ernie Accorsi interviewed Dan Quinn and Adam Gase. Fox’s availability changed everything because Accorsi worked with him with the Giants. Accorsi was part of Fox’s initial interview.
The decision to hire Fox ultimately was Pace’s. But it was prudent for Pace to act sooner than later because his own hiring process set back the Bears’ offseason timeline.
Pace would control that timeline now.”
Pace was a rookie in every way that year. Not only was he taking over the GM position for the first time, he was also the youngest in the NFL. It’s reasonable to think there might be a period of adjustment and learning. His 2015 draft class proved that with only Eddie Goldman emerging as a viable starter. Is it not reasonable to assume the same happened with his coaching hire?
GMs tend to do well on their second chance hires
Then there’s the fact that over the course of recent history general managers who are permitted to hire a second coach tend to hit bigger on the latter. Here’s a quick list of examples.
Mickey Loomis:
- Jim Haslett (2000-2005)
- Sean Payton (2006-present)
Thomas Dimitroff:
- Mike Smith (2008-2014)
- Dan Quinn (2015-present)
Bill Polian:
- Jim Mora (1998-2001)
- Tony Dungy (2002-2008)
John Elway:
- John Fox (2011-2014)
- Gary Kubiak (2015-2016)
This list may soon include Les Snead. After hiring Jeff Fisher, he has since moved to Sean McVay and the Rams are on course to make the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. The point being Pace is in a position of far greater advantage this time around. He’s more experienced, more knowledgeable, more connected and will be more prepared than he was in January of 2015.
