The Chicago Bears have begun the process of finding their next head coach. Multiple names have already surfaced as strong possibilities for the job. The two most prevalent at this stage are Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. It leans into the plan the brain trust has. They either want an experienced leader who has won somewhere else or a sharp offensive mind who can elevate quarterback Caleb Williams. It isn’t a bad idea.
However, insiders hinted shortly after Matt Eberflus was fired that there is another route the Bears could go: college. The organization hasn’t hired a head coach straight from the collegiate ranks since 1930. However, team president Kevin Warren has deep connections there and may look to exploit them. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman was quickly mentioned as a possibility. The same goes for USC head coach Lincoln Riley, who developed Williams. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog is hearing that it is unlikely to happen for one specific reason.
I’ve been tweeted the name Dan Lanning by multiple folks, but I was told the Bears are not going to take a shot on a college coach with zero professional experience. That also includes Lincoln Riley.
The Chicago Bears understand the vital key to college-NFL transition.
College coaches coming to the NFL is nothing new, but it has rarely worked over the years. Too often, it becomes clear that those coaches just don’t understand how to communicate with a veteran locker room compared to one filled with 18-20-year-old kids. Lanning, Riley, and Freeman have never coached in an NFL locker room once in their careers. Meanwhile, when you think about successful transitions like Pete Carroll, Jim Harbaugh, and Tom Coughlin? They all have the same thing in common. They spent time in the NFL as assistants. Harbaugh was a QBs coach in Oakland. Carroll was actually a head coach twice in the league before hitting it big at USC. Before heading to Boston College, Coughlin was a wide receivers coach for the Eagles, Packers, and Giants.
There aren’t many college head coaches who fit this criteria at the moment. One is Bill O’Brien, the current head coach at BC. He spent several years in the NFL, including a long stint as head coach in Houston. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator in Atlanta for a couple of years before returning to college. Lane Kiffin was head coach in Oakland but was unceremoniously fired early in his second season. Unless the Chicago Bears feel like one of them is worth the gamble, it seems as if the college route is out of the question.
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@Dr. Steven The head. coach needs to run. a TEAM. Period. That means identifying and empowering coordinators AND position coaches. And most importantly holding them accountable for improving every single player who puts on the uniform. If they can’t do it. If they don’t show improvements at various milestones, hire enough assistants to replace them mid-season without losing a beat. But the interview process is always about laying down expectations. They have to act professional, but they have to get results. The Bears need to know who is coachable, who can improve as fast as possible. Nate Davis-type of behind-the-back… Read more »
College coaches for position coaches is something I would look at, but not head coach or coordinator. Every college program has to develop position groups. Most people coach can’t develop an acorn.
But head? Not even Nick Sana. worked out. And Harbaugh took 8 years to build Michigan up..Amy pro teams willing to wait?
Danny Lanning is a really good college HC. Possibly the best right now. I’ll leave that there.
As I posed a few days ago, what is it going to be THE priority in the selection process: (1) making the whole team better, or (2) elevating Caleb’s game. “Well, which is it”? Science indicates that certain types of people do not tolerate having to choose in even simple ass matters such as this. They do not make for either good young students or even good adult leaders. They are hard-pressed to cope with the challenge. Of course, Bears fans would like to do both, but that might be too idealistic in the real world. So the next best… Read more »
@jmscooby: You forgot to include DC Nick Saban, another college coach that failed at the pro level.
Seriously, if the Bears choose a college coach with no NFL experience, let’s all just go to sleep for four years.