The Chicago Bears have had 18 head coaches in the franchise’s 100-plus-year history. Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the team’s 19th head coach.
Some of the previous 18 were significantly more successful than others, but either way, the Bears had not ever fired a coach mid-season — until Matt Eberflus.
Here’s a look at how Bears coaches fared and what the circumstances were when they left the franchise.
From George Halas to Ben Johnson: What was said about every Chicago Bears coach when they were hired
George Halas (1920-29, 1933-42, 1946-55, 1958-67)
Record: 318-148-31 (.682)
The lowdown: In all, Halas coached for 40 seasons over five decades and won six NFL championships (1921, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1946 and 1963). Only Don Shula won more games.
Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever: No. 25, George Halas
Why he left: The founder and owner of the Bears, “Papa Bear” first stepped away after a 4-9-2 season in 1929 — and a stock market collapse. He was busy. Halas’ entrepreneurship led him to create a professional basketball team (the short-lived Chicago Bruins of the American Basketball League) and invest in stocks and real estate. Soon he would work with Tribune sports editor Arch Ward to create the All-Star Charity Football Game, which pitted the Bears against a team of college players.
“The time had come for Dutch (Edward Sternaman) and me to stop coaching, or, more accurately, miscoaching,” Halas wrote in his autobiography. “We had to put coaching under one mind. We decided to bring in someone who would pull the team together.”
Vintage Chicago Tribune: 10 key moments in George Halas’ life on the 40th anniversary of his death
The financial losses incurred during the Great Depression, however, saw Halas resume coaching duties in an effort to save on salary. By then he had ownership of the team after buying Sternaman’s shares in 1931. The 1933 team went 10-2-1 and defeated the New York Giants 23-21 in the NFL’s first championship game. Bears rookie kicker Jack Manders had 11 points.
After the outbreak of World War II, Halas re-enlisted in the Navy and was awarded a Bronze Star. Leaving with the rank of captain, Halas returned to the sidelines in 1946. He took a brief break from coaching in 1956-57 before his fourth and final stint prior to retiring from coaching.
Ralph Jones (1930-32)
Record: 24-10-7 (.706)
The lowdown: Halas hired Jones, who had been the football coach at Lake Forest Academy for a decade, in late December 1929. Jones’ Lake Forest teams went 82-8, averaging 30 points to four by opponents.
Jones, who ran the Bears for three seasons and won a title in 1932, was an innovator credited with being the first coach to position the quarterback under center.
Why he left: Money — Halas needed to return to coaching to save some during the Great Depression. Jones became Lake Forest College’s football (1933-48) and basketball (1933-39, 1945-46) coach in March 1933.
Luke Johnsos (1942-45)
Record: 23-11-2 (.676)
The lowdown: Former players Johnsos and Anderson served as co-head coaches when Halas entered the Navy during World War II. The co-coaches won the championship in 1943.
Johnsos grew up in Logan Square, played football and baseball at Schurz High School, then played those sports plus basketball at Northwestern. He led the Big Ten with nine home runs in 12 games in 1928 and signed with the Reds, but his poor eyesight precluded a major-league career.
Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever: No. 40, Luke Johnsos
Why he left: After Halas returned from World War II, Johnsos and Hunk Anderson resumed their roles as assistant coaches.
Hunk Anderson (1942-45)
Record: 23-11-2 (.676)
The lowdown: As co-head coach with Johnsos, Anderson led the Bears to the 1943 NFL title. Sid Luckman came up with two interceptions and threw five touchdown passes as the Bears hammered the Redskins 41-21 at Wrigley Field to win the 1943 NFL championship.
Before his time in the NFL, Anderson took over Notre Dame after legendary coach Knute Rockne was killed in a plane crash in 1931. Anderson is credited with being the first to utilize the man-zone defensive hybrid.
Why he left: After Halas returned from World War II, Anderson and Johnsos resumed their roles as assistant coaches.
Paddy Driscoll (1956-57)
Record: 14-9-1 (.609)
The lowdown: In his first season, Driscoll led the Bears to the NFL title game, but they lost 47-7 to the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium. Before joining the Bears coaching staff in the 1940s, Driscoll was a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Cardinals and Bears. He also coached the Cardinals for three seasons in the 1920s.
Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever: No. 34, Paddy Driscoll
Why he left: Driscoll moved into a front-office role as Halas returned for his final coaching stint.
Jim Dooley (1968-71)
Record: 20-36 (.357)
The lowdown: When Halas left coaching for the final time in 1968, he named Dooley, a longtime assistant and former player, to replace him. Halas’ 1968 send-off of “Good luck, kid” to his successor immediately turned to bad luck and haunted Dooley through season records of 7-7, 1-13, 6-8 and 6-8.
Enthusiastic and innovative, a true “football man,” Dooley presided over four of the darkest and worst years in Bears history.
He had the good fortune to coach Hall of Famers Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus, and the bad fortune of seeing both go down with knee injuries that would shorten their careers.
The only game the Bears won in 1969 was against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who also finished 1-13. The Steelers then beat the Bears in a coin flip for the draft rights to the No. 1 pick. The Steelers chose Terry Bradshaw, who could have solved their incessant quarterback confusion.
Why he left: His future was bright, but a 1-13 season in 1969 combined with bad luck and worse quarterbacks doomed him. On Dec. 29, 1971, Dooley became the first Bears coach to be fired after going 6-8 in 1971.
“Halas never forgave me for the 1-13,” Dooley said in a 2001 interview.
He later returned as an assistant under Mike Ditka.
Abe Gibron (1972-74)
Record: 11-30-1 (.268)
The lowdown: Statistically the worst head coach in Bears history, Gibron was had been promoted to helm the team in 1972. After graduating from Purdue, he started his pro career in 1949 with Buffalo in the American Football League, then played seven years with the Cleveland Browns and one with the Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Bears.
Why he left: Gibron was fired after the 1974 season, when the Bears went 4-10. His teams were 19 games under .500 on Dec. 17, 1974.
The burly, beloved Gibron then became coach of the Chicago Winds of the WFL.
Jack Pardee (1975-77)
Record: 20-22 (.476)
The lowdown: Pardee was the first true “outsider” to coach the Bears and Walter Payton’s first head coach in the NFL. In his third year at the helm in 1977, he led them to their first playoff berth in 14 years.
Why he left: Pardee left the Bears — after going 9-5 during the 1977 season — to become Washington’s head coach after George Allen was fired.
He died in 2013.
Neill Armstrong (1978-81)
Record: 30-34 (.469)
The lowdown: A Bud Grant disciple, Armstrong came to the Bears along with assistant Buddy Ryan. Armstrong, who previously coached Edmonton in the Canadian Football League, made just one playoff appearance as Bears coach.
Why he left: Armstrong was fired on Jan. 4, 1982 after a 6-10 record during the 1981 season.
He then joined the Dallas Cowboys as an assistant.
Mike Ditka (1982-92)
Bears head coach Mike Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan are carried around the field after they defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 to win Super Bowl XX on Jan. 26, 1986, in New Orleans. (Ed Wagner/Chicago Tribune)
Record: 106-62 (.631)
The lowdown: Halas hired Ditka as Bears head coach in 1982, and the Hall of Fame tight end became a Bears legend for guiding the team to its only Super Bowl victory. He was named NFL Coach of the Year that year and for a second time in 1988.
Ditka’s 106 wins are second-most in franchise history, and he led the team to seven postseason appearances in 11 seasons.
Why he left: Ditka was fired by Halas’ grandson Mike McCaskey on Jan. 5, 1993, after going 5-11 in 1992.
“Da Coach” went 15-33 in three disastrous seasons with the Saints in 1997-99.
The popular pitchman then embarked on a long broadcasting career, and recently moved back to the city.
Dave Wannstedt (1993-98)
Record: 40-56 (.417)
The lowdown: Ditka’s successor came highly regarded after coaching the Cowboys defense to a Super Bowl victory under Jimmy Johnson, but he made the playoffs only once as Bears coach. His 1-11 record against the Green Bay Packers didn’t help either.
Why he left: Wannstedt was fired on Dec. 28, 1998, after back-to-back 4-12 seasons.
The Bears’ struggles “coupled with their inability to secure a new or improved playing facility have resulted in a serious erosion of their fan base,” the Tribune reported at the time.
Dick Jauron (1999-03)
Record: 35-45 (.438)
The lowdown: The former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator made the playoffs only once in five seasons, but it was a memorable one. Jauron’s 2001 Bears went 13-3 in dramatic fashion and won the NFC Central, earning him NFL Coach of the Year honors.
Why he left: Jauron was fired after a 7-9 season in 2003.
He sold his town home in Lake Forest for $699,000 in 2021.
Lovie Smith (2004-12)
Record: 81-63 (.563)
The lowdown: The Cover-2 disciple was 18 games over .500 in nine years (3-3 in the playoffs) but was fired for missing the playoffs for the fifth time in six years. Smith is the only coach besides Ditka to lead the Bears to a Super Bowl appearance.
Why he left: Smith was fired on Dec. 31, 2012 after going 10-6.
He became head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014 then University of Illinois coach in 2016.
Marc Trestman (2013-14)
Record: 13-19 (.406)
The lowdown: The CFL champion coach and purported “quarterback whisperer” had the offense flying in his first season. But a sudden regression and a lack of leadership led to a quick firing after Year 2.
Why he left: Trestman was fired — along with Bears general manager Phil Emery — for missing the playoffs in both of his seasons.
John Fox (2015-17)
Chicago Bears head coach John Fox yells from the field before the first half of the Bears’ exhibition opener against the Denver Broncos at Solider Field on Aug. 10, 2017, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Record: 14-34 (.292)
The lowdown: After catalyzing rapid turnarounds for the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos, Fox was expected to perform the same magic in Chicago. But the Bears spent the majority of his time with the team in last place in the NFC North.
Why he left: Fox was fired on Jan. 1, 2018, after his third season in charge.
Matt Nagy (2018-21)
Record: 34-31 (.523)
The lowdown: The former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator was brought in to establish a modern offense. After an impressive 12-4 start and division title in Nagy’s first season, the Bears steadily regressed with two .500 seasons before the final dip in 2021. They went 0-2 in the postseason under Nagy, while the offense was consistently among the league’s worst.
Why he left: Nagy was fired on Jan. 10, 2022, (and so was Bears general manager Ryan Pace) after going 6-11 in his fourth season.
Nagy is offensive coordinator for the Chiefs, who have won two Super Bowls since his return.
Matt Eberflus (2022-24)
Record: 14-32 (.304)
The lowdown: Eberflus, the former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator, was hired to be the 17th head coach in franchise history on Jan. 27, 2022.
How Matt Eberflus’ 14-32 record stacks up against other Chicago Bears coaches
Why he left: Amid a firestorm of criticism and calls for Eberflus’ job in local and national media after the botched ending in a Thanksgiving lost to the Lions, the Bears let the coach do his next-day news conference with reporters. During that Nov. 29th session on Zoom, Eberflus said he felt “confident” he would be preparing next week for the 49ers. A couple of hours later, the Bears announced they had fired Eberflus and Thomas Brown was named interim head coach.
Thomas Brown (2024)
Record: 1-4 (.200)
The lowdown: Brown, the Bears’ passing game coordinator, was elevated to offensive coordinator after Shane Waldron was fired just nine games into his tenure directing the offense with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. He was then named interim head coach — the first ever for the Bears — after Eberflus was fired.
Why he left: Brown was interviewed by the Bears on Jan. 13. And while he was put in a challenging and virtually unwinnable position — transitioning from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator to interim head coach over a turbulent four-week period in November — there just wasn’t enough on-field production in that final role to enhance his candidacy.
Ben Johnson (2025-Present)
Record: n/a
The lowdown:The Bears were able to get the deal done without an in-person interview, evidence of how convinced they were that Johnson — the architect of the top-ranked Lions offense — was the right man to turn around a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2010 season and hasn’t had consecutive winning seasons since 2005-06.
Johnson, 38, was a key part of the renaissance in Detroit as the Lions had the highest-scoring offense in the NFL over the last three seasons with creative designs for the passing and running games.
Sources: Chicago Bears; Tribune archives: NFL
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