Matt Nagy has every reason to feel secure in his job at this point. In his first season running the Chicago Bears, he won 12 games and a division championship. This after the team hadn’t posted a winning record since 2012. So yeah the guy is pretty bulletproof at the moment. The interesting question is where does his job security rank among the wider NFL? Being the reigning Coach of the Year, one would imagine it’s high.
Dan Hanzus of NFL.com took to answering it. There were a few no brainers ahead of Nagy on the list. Bill Belichick at the top (obviously). Sean McVay and Sean Payton at #2 and #3 with Doug Pederson at #5. All acceptable choices. Where it got a little questionable was having Jon Gruden at #4. Hanzus argued this wasn’t due to his accomplishments. More his ironclad 10-year contract.
Nagy? He found himself sitting at #9 behind Pete Carroll. Maybe a bit low considering what he accomplished that year, but fair enough given Carroll’s past accomplishments. Hanzus still had plenty of praise for the Bears head coach.
“Yep, yet another branch off the Reid coaching tree. (Something tells us this bodes well for current Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who replaced Nagy when he left that post last year to head up the Bears.) Nagy was a big hit in his first season in Chicago, breathing much-needed life into a previously listless Bears offense. Nagy faces more pressure after last year’s 12-4 breakout campaign, but he is very much part of the Bears’ present and future. If Mitch Trubisky takes the next step as a quarterback in 2019, Nagy might find himself even higher on this list in 2020.”
Matt Nagy can cement higher status with a 2019 run
Nagy isn’t looking for lofty ranking status. His goal is to win a championship. Something that has eluded him throughout his entire football career. He came agonizingly close during his playing days, losing two Arena League championship games. He endured several playoff disappointments as an assistant in Philadelphia and Kansas City. There is a reason the man has coined phrases like “Be Obsessed” and “Chasing Great.”
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He’s on a mission. Winning a championship as head coach of the Bears would put him on a pedestal few can ever hope to reach. This year would hold special significance too. It’s the 100th anniversary of the league. It has been 34 years since Chicago won their last (Walter Payton alert). Last but not least, the Super Bowl itself will be played on the birthday of Papa Bear George Halas himself. Try to imagine the history that would make.
If nothing else, Nagy would gain a spot in the top 5 for sure.
