The Chicago Bears have done so much work in the past 24 hours. They kicked things off by firing head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace. Then chairman George McCaskey announced Hall of Famer Bill Polian would headline a committee to begin the search for replacements. Since then, a flurry of names has surfaced involving the Bears requesting interviews. Enough to where it has become difficult to keep up.
So it might be a good time to establish this tracker. Every name that has become public knowledge to this point. Don’t be surprised if the list grows in the coming hours and even days. Be sure to keep the link to this tracker available as it will likely change.
Chicago Bears head coach interview requests:
Leslie Frazier (Bills defensive coordinator)
Former Bears cornerback. Worked as a head coach in Minnesota from 2011 to 2013. Currently the coordinator of the #1 defense in the NFL in both yards and points allowed.
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Doug Pederson (former Eagles head coach)
Won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia. Holds a 4-2 record in the playoffs. Got the best performances from both Carson Wentz and Nick Foles at quarterback.
Brian Daboll (Bills offensive coordinator)
Won a national title with Alabama in 2017. Has overseen the development of Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen and now has back-to-back top 5 offenses.
Nathaniel Hackett (Packers offensive coordinator)
Got 4,000 yards and 35 TD passes from Blake Bortles in 2015 and then took him to an AFC championship in 2017. Now has Aaron Rodgers on the cusp of back-to-back MVP awards.
Todd Bowles (Buccaneers defensive coordinator)
Architect of the Bucs’ Super Bowl victory last season. Has head coaching experience from the Jets and is known for his quality leadership and sharp mind.
Byron Leftwich (Buccaneers offensive coordinator)
Played quarterback in the NFL for a decade. Has now gotten three straight top 5 offenses with two different QBs in Jameis Winston and Tom Brady.
Matt Eberflus (Colts defensive coordinator)
Has quietly been one of the best defensive coordinators in the league. A top 10 unit in three of his four seasons. Comes across as disciplined and a great teacher.
Dan Quinn (Cowboys defensive coordinator)
Won a Super Bowl in Seattle as a coordinator. Almost won another as a head coach in Atlanta. Rapidly turned around the Cowboys’ defense (28th to 7th).
Brian Flores (former Dolphins head coach)
Had two winning seasons in three years with Miami despite an average roster. Intense and intelligent. Major questions about his ability to identify good offensive coaching.
Jim Caldwell (former Lions head coach)
Though 67-years old, nobody can argue Caldwell gets the most from his teams. He had three winning seasons in five years with the Lions including two playoff appearances.
Chicago Bears GM interview requests:
Morocco Brown (Colts director of college scouting)
Worked in the Bears scouting department from 2001 to 2007. Has built a strong track record of identifying quality offensive linemen. Strong ability to communicate.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Browns VP of football operations)
Princeton graduate. Rose up the ranks in San Francisco as an analytics specialist. Has since built experience in scouting and is known as a hybrid case with a very bright future.
Glenn Cook (Browns VP of player personnel)
Veteran personnel man with a strong, steady track record. Helped pull Cleveland out of the mud since 2016 and also worked for years in the Packers scouting department.
Rex Hogan (Jets assistant GM)
Another former Chicago Bears personnel guy. Had a big hand in building their 2006 and 2010 teams. Known as an alpha personality with a sharp eye for talent.
Drafted some superstar talent in Houston including Duane Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, J.J. Watt, and Deshaun Watson. Lost his job due to ownership change. Not his own mistakes.
Jeff Ireland (Saints assistant GM)
Had a hand in acquiring 19 eventual Pro Bowl players out of college since 2005. A huge key to Saints’ four straight division titles from 2017 to 2020. Former Bears ballboy too.
Big part of the Seahawks’ masterful roster construction in the early 2010s that led to Super Bowl title. Now forging an impressive group in Indianapolis too.
Ran Carthon (49ers director of pro personnel)
Helped build the 2018 Rams Super Bowl roster and then shifted over to San Francisco and did the same with their 2019 team. Strong track record of finding solid football players.
Joe Schoen (Bills assistant GM)
Connected to several Pro Bowl players dating back to 2008. Helped build Buffalo’s roster into an AFC power. Considered one of the rising stars in the personnel community.
Omar Khan (Steelers VP of football and business administration)
Part of a front office that has experienced just one losing season since 2001. Cap specialist who has worked with likely Hall of Fame GM in Kevin Colbert.
Eliot Wolf (Patriots senior personnel consultant)
Son of Hall of Fame GM Ron Wolf. Served in the Packers scouting department for over a decade. Helped turn around the Browns and Patriots over the past four years.
Champ Kelly (Bears assistant director of player personnel)
Most will see him as a Pace understudy but the reality is Kelly’s star was ascending long before he got to Chicago. He’s sharp, detailed, and personable.
JoJo Wooden (Chargers VP of player personnel)
The right-hand man of Tom Telesco, Wooden has helped provide the Chargers with a steady stream of quality talent especially on the offensive side at wide receiver and tight end.
Reggie McKenzie (Dolphins senior personnel executive)
Formerly the GM of the Raiders from 2012 to 2018, his highlights included drafting Khalil Mack, Derek Carr, and Amari Cooper. Has since helped rebuild the Dolphins.
Joe Hortiz (Ravens director of player personnel)
A lifer in Baltimore. Has been helping run their college scouting department since 2009 and assisted in drafting 16 eventual Pro Bowlers including Lamar Jackson.
Ryan Poles (Chiefs co-director of player personnel)
A former Bears undrafted free agent, he got his start in scouting in 2009. From there he learned under three different GMs and helped build Kansas City’s powerhouse.
