One thing about John Fox was he never cared much for media relations and the like. He always kept it at arm’s length, showing a general apathy. That’s why the only time one heard him speak was in the locker room after a win. He resisted every opportunity to get himself in front of the cameras for PR purposes. That was one of the biggest indications yet that Matt Nagy is different.
While secrecy remains a priority for him just like any head coach, the 39-year old has put in the effort to create a shorter gap between the team and the fans by being more open to the media at times. He’s friendly and honest during camp press conferences and was even willing to let himself be microphoned for one of their recent practices.
This might seem like something that is a friendly gesture, but it actually offered the first serious glimpse into who Nagy is both as a person and a coach. What would be his focus during drills? How does he interact with the players? That and more were on display and it all came with a few surprises.
Matt Nagy is indiscriminate with whom he supports on the field
The first thing that stood out was Nagy’s demeanor. He’s not a firebreather. One of those types that use screams and harsh words to get his message across to the players. He stated a few weeks ago that this isn’t what he wanted from either himself or his staff. He wanted them to be teachers on the field, more than anything. His instruction and words of encouragement reflected that mentality.
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Yet the biggest takeaway was how he didn’t seem to favor any side of the ball. Keep in mind Nagy was brought in by the Bears for a specific reason. He was hired to fix the offense, more specifically quarterback Mitch Trubisky. He himself is a former QB and ran the Kansas City Chiefs offense for two years. One would think he’d be primarily focused on that side of the ball in practice.
Instead he was seen several times encouraging the Bears defense to make plays, wanting to see them perform. He showed a keen understanding that he wasn’t an offensive coordinator anymore. He’s the head coach and the head coach has to run the entire team, not just one piece of it.
That may sound like something obvious, but it would shock a lot of people how many head coaches out there stick to what they know best and just let their coordinator run the show on the other side. Nagy doesn’t want to be that guy. This could win him a lot of support in the locker room.
