News finally came out recently that the Chicago Bears are prepared to move on from John Fox. Ian Rapoport confirmed as much. This could mean the entire coaching will be gone by Monday morning. That may not sit well with some fans who’d love to see certain faces stick around, most notably defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Regardless GM Ryan Pace will have a big task ahead of him.
First and foremost will be finding a new head coach. Expectations are he’ll be targeting an offensive specialist. Somebody who can come in and hopefully groom quarterback Mitch Trubisky into the top NFL passer he should be. Who will that end up being? Only Pace himself knows that for sure. One thing is clear though, that coach will have a huge responsibility upon arrival.
He must quickly move to build a strong coaching staff around him. The good news is the market will be flooded with fellow coaches who were dismissed by other teams. Contrary to popular belief this doesn’t mean they’re all failures. Like Fangio several of them are actually quite good at their jobs, but were caught up in the politics of this business.
Who are some the Bears might be able to poach?
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Likely fired coaches the Chicago Bears might want to target
From what I've heard, HCs most likely gone by season's end: Pagano, Malarkey, Marvin Lewis, Del Rio (only if they convince Gruden), Fox, (McAdoo is already gone), and Arians (retired).
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) December 31, 2017
As things stand it appears that there will be at least seven staffs that are dismissed come Black Monday. That means dozens of coaches will suddenly find themselves unemployed. The scramble to scoop certain names up will be swift, so the Bears will have to act quickly in order to secure the best ones. Here are some names they really should consider.
Chuck Pagano (Indianapolis Colts)
The Colts head coach is villainized these days for his failures, which is rather unfortunate. Given the roster he had most of that time, he’s actually done quite well. Either way his reputation won’t be tarnished so much that he can’t find work. Pagano will likely land on his feet as a defensive coordinator. His lone year of work at that job in 2011 resulted in the Baltimore Ravens finishing 3rd overall in the NFL. He’s known for his ability to motivate and pay attention to details. His 3-4 background would also be a benefit to the Bears’ continuity.
Russ Grimm (Tennessee Titans)
The Hall of Fame guard has continued his stellar NFL career as one of the top offensive line coaches in the game today. Grimm has had success producing Pro Bowl talents wherever he’s gone from Washington to Pittsburgh, Arizona and now Tennessee. If the Titans were to let him go he’d be an instant benefit to the Bears as they look to fortify their front for Trubisky and that rushing attack.
Nothing about being a linemen is being an individual.. it's all about working as one unit! Russ Grimm speaking facts… pic.twitter.com/DisLNoCGWd
— The Big Guy (@BigGuy_Probs) December 7, 2017
James Urban (Cincinnati Bengals)
It’s never a bad thing when players speak out on whom they think should get a promotion as coach. Several in Cincinnati did so for James Urban when the Bengals offensive coordinator job opened up. It ultimately went to Bill Lazor, but that was a sign that Urban had the respect of the roster. With good reason too. Since 2011 the Bengals wide receivers have had loads of success thanks to his efforts. A.J. Green is a star while Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu went on to land big contracts after leaving the team as free agents.
Todd Downing (Oakland Raiders)
His run as offensive coordinator is not going as the Raiders had hoped. Granted it’s the first year Downing has ever held the job so there might be an adjustment period but still. If he’s out after this season the young coach is by no means unworthy of swift signing. While a coordinator job is unlikely at this point, he’d be an excellent quarterbacks coach. He has held this position when a number of top QBs have had their best years including Derek Carr in Oakland and Matthew Stafford in Detroit.
Patrick Graham (New York Giants)
Teams tend to be wary of New England Patriots assistants these days, feeling they’re elevated by the Belichick Effect. Patrick Graham has since found success outside that bubble though. His work with the New York Giants defensive line of late has proven he knows how to do the job well. He understands how to coach up proper run defense and pass rush requirement. He’s also still quite young so his best years may be ahead of him.
James Bettcher (Arizona Cardinals)
It was quite the shoes to fill when Todd Bowles left for New York in 2015. Rather than seek outside help though, Bruce Arians put the Arizona Cardinals defense in the hands of young assistant James Bettcher. That proved to be a wise choice. The unit hasn’t ranked lower than sixth in total defense during the three seasons he’s been in charge. Before that he was a successful outside linebackers coach as well. Another highly overlooked young assistant.
