Fans and media know what kind of head coach they prefer for the Chicago Bears. Most have championed the need for an offensive guru who can help Caleb Williams ascend. Some would like a coach with proven experience. That would give them a leg up in fixing whatever is wrong with the team’s dysfunction. However, the more interesting question is what the players themselves prefer. After all, they are the ones who will have direct interactions with whoever the coach ends up being.
Adam Hoge of CHGO talked about it on the Hoge & Jahns podcast with Dianna Russini. Based on what he’s heard from several players, they don’t have a particular preference when it comes to expertise. What they want is somebody who will instill discipline. The feeling is Matt Eberflus never had full control of the locker room. He may have had his vision, but the former coach lacked the charisma and firm hand to make players respect him.
The Chicago Bears need a personality.
Too often, they have settled for milk toast guys who are unassuming. Marc Trestman, John Fox, and Eberflus all fit this profile. Matt Nagy at least had some charisma. Unfortunately, his inability to delegate control and mishandling of his quarterbacks led to his demise. Successful head coaches often combine high intelligence with unique personalities. They fill up a room with their presence, forcing others to pay attention. George Halas did that. Mike Ditka did that. Ever since the McCaskeys took over, it seems as if they’ve tried to avoid such coaches. After so many years of losing, they can’t afford to dodge it any longer. The Chicago Bears need something different.
Maybe Ben Johnson can be that guy. Or the more conventional options like Mike Vrabel and Brian Flores are better bets. Players complained all season about discipline problems. If they’re craving it, that should be an obvious hint at what to do.
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I checked Mahogany out when BC played Holy Cross, IIRC. He was a thick dude.
Poles would be an upgrade for New England, honestly.
@Arnie — I don’t suppose you actually expect Brad Holmes to fix something (the Lions O-line) that isn’t broken. But before you dismiss his work in this area, write down the names Giovani Manu and Christian Mahogany — future building blocks that Holmes has drafted. Mahogany (ironically a Boston College lineman for four years — which of course is the alma mater of Ryan Poles) was selected at #210 in the 2024 NFL Draft, has an on-field “bad-ass” attitude and some talent. I won’t speak for @jmscooby but I think we talked about Mahogany and Tanor Bortolini as viable targets… Read more »
@TGena Two quick things. 1) With the Detroit offensive line, Detroit drafted Decker (1st round) and Glasgow (3rd round) in 2016, so this is the 8th season for each. Zietler, their resident old man, is in his 12th year, though this is year one with Detroit as he was a low level free agent brought in this year (as a good player, but also, at nearly 35 and on his 5th team, not someone any rebuilding team would likely add), then you have Ragnow, completing his 6th year after being drafted in the first round in 2018, and finally, Sewell… Read more »
@Arnie — I’m glad “you’re back.” So, here’s where we agree (the A Block) ▪︎ Big Picture commitment is needed — ▪︎ 2024 coaching was a disaster — ▪︎. NFL Draft picks count, and — ▪︎. Cap Space (dead cap) is critical — Here’s where we disagree (the B Block) ▪︎ Poles mishandled 3 out of 4, A Block areas — and the 4th was cured by the natural resolution of the Dead Cap progression — ▪︎. Your view that the Lions’ O-line “took nearly a decade to accumulate” must be based on Quantum entanglement because only the “spooky action… Read more »
@TGena And I make sense now too if you want a sustained winner and not the bullshit we’ve experienced for decades with GM’s that trade away draft picks to move up constantly, draft only for immediate positional need and not even coming close to getting good value, and then blowing the cap to hell (and never accumulating comp picks) because they try to fill all the holes limited draft picks and bad development create with overpriced, old free agents. That approach gives us the occasional division winner, when the stars align and the team is abnormally lucky with regard to… Read more »