After a 5-12, last-place season that included 10 consecutive losses and the in-season firings of coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, the Chicago Bears are now embarking on a search to hire the franchise’s next head coach.
General manager Ryan Poles said the search committee he is leading will cast a wide net, speaking with coaches from many backgrounds. Candidates will interview with a six-person panel: Chairman George McCaskey, President/CEO Kevin Warren, Poles, director of football administration Matt Feinstein, senior director of player personnel Jeff King and chief human resources officer Liz Geist.
“We’re turning every stone to make sure we’re doing this the right way,” Poles said. “We’re going to move with urgency, but we’re not going to rush the process. Again, because we want it to be a sound process.”
The Tribune is tracking the latest developments with news, notes and nuggets from the search.
- Bears coaching search: Who we know are candidates for the job
- How big could the Bears candidate list become? Brad Biggs’ 6 thoughts on that — and more.
- Bears GM Ryan Poles offers his assessment of 2024 — while his bosses bet he’ll learn from his mistakes
- NFL coaching searches have complicated rules about timing and interviews. Here’s what to know.
- Ben Johnson has a ‘burning desire’ to be a head coach. Could the Detroit Lions OC be a fit for the Bears?
- Thomas Brown can offer the Bears leadership honesty — and share his vision for QB Caleb Williams
- Column: Why Pete Carroll makes sense as a candidate for the Bears coaching job
Sunday
The Patriots announced the hiring of Mike Vrabel as their new head coach.
What it means: Four days after having a virtual interview with the Bears, Vrabel reunited with the Patriots, the team with which he spent eight seasons and won three Super Bowls as a player. Vrabel’s return to New England was hardly a surprise. But the move filled one of six head coaching jobs open in the league, leaving the Bears, Saints, Jets, Raiders and Jaguars with the remaining vacancies.
Vrabel was on a very short list for the Patriots, who were also serious in their consideration of Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Johnson is on the Bears’ radar and had a virtual interview with the team on Saturday.
The Patriots also interviewed Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich for their opening but were targeted and purposeful with their search and hired Vrabel less than a week after firing Jerod Mayo as head coach.
The Bears, meanwhile, will continue with their interviews this week, progressing through a list of 18 known candidates linked to the opening.
Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham completed a virtual interview for the Tennessee Titans’ general manager job.
Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham speaks about the upcoming NFL draft on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
What it means: Cunningham is back in the mix for the Titans GM job two years after being a finalist in Tennessee for that same role. The Titans ultimately hired Ran Carthon in 2023.
Bears GM Ryan Poles said last week he would give Cunningham the freedom to explore his career advancement this month. And it would not be a surprise if Cunningham again garnered serious consideration in Tennessee.
As it stands, his interview Sunday was part of the Titans’ first round of interviews. The team has also announced interviews with Thomas Dimitroff, John Spytek, Ed Dodds, Reggie McKenzie, Matt Berry and Mike Borgonzi.
Other GM jobs currently open in the league are with the Jets and Raiders.
Under the NFL’s Rooney Rule hiring regulations, if Cunningham were to be hired by another team for a GM role, the Bears would receive a third-round compensatory pick for this year’s draft plus another in the 2026 draft.
Saturday
The Bears interviewed Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
What it means: The Bears knocked out both Lions coordinators interviews during Detroit’s first-round playoff bye.
Glenn is in his fourth season as Lions defensive coordinator and 11th season as an NFL coach, including with the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns.
The Lions defense ranks seventh with 20.1 points allowed per game and also leads the league in third-down percentage at 32.4%.
As with all defensive-minded candidates, the Bears will need to hear Glenn’s plan for his offensive staff and how to help quarterback Caleb Williams succeed.
The Bears interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
What it means: Johnson is one of the top candidates of this NFL hiring cycle after directing a Lions offense that led the league with 33.2 points per game and was second with 409.5 yards per game this season.
Johnson has been the Lions coordinator since 2022 and has played a large role in their rise to become the NFC’s No. 1 seed in this year’s playoffs under coach Dan Campbell.
The Bears needed to examine Johnson’s overall leadership plan and style along with his fit with quarterback Caleb Williams as they determine whether he’s their coach of the future.
Thursday
Bears interviewed New York Giants assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka
Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka, a St. Rita graduate, talks with quarterback Patrick Mahomes during practice on Jan. 29, 2020, in Davie, Fla. (Mark Brown/Getty Images)
What it means: The St. Rita and Northwestern graduate was previously on the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff when GM Ryan Poles was there. Kafka spent five seasons with the Chiefs, including four as the quarterbacks coach for Patrick Mahomes. He also was the passing game coordinator for the last two.
Kafka, 37, has been with the Giants for three seasons. The Giants offense, with three different starting quarterbacks this season, ranked 30th in yards per game and 31st in points per game.
Bears interviewed former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll
What it means: Carroll, 73, has a lengthy resume featuring accomplishments the Bears have only dreamed about in recent years. In 14 seasons with the Seahawks (2010-23), Carroll led the team to 10 playoff berths, two Super Bowls and the Super Bowl XLVIII championship in the 2013 season.
He has helped both young and veteran quarterbacks thrive but would need a strong offensive coordinator to come with him to help guide quarterback Caleb Williams. Carroll and the Seahawks parted ways after last season following a three-year stretch with a 25-26 record and one playoff berth.
Bears interviewed Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver
What it means: Weaver, 44, was the third candidate to complete a virtual meeting with the team. He just finished his first season in Miami, solidifying the Dolphins defense as a top-10 unit that allowed an average of 314.4 yards and 21.3 points.
Weaver, who runs a 3-4 system with the Dolphins, played at Notre Dame and has seven seasons of NFL coaching experience, with his most extensive background as a defensive line coach. He also spent two seasons as the assistant head coach to John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens.
Thomas Brown is expected to interview for the Seahawks offensive coordinator opening
What it means: While Brown is scheduled to meet with Bears brass to discuss his opportunity to remain head coach, the organization’s desire to reboot likely will lead it in a new direction. That will leave Brown seeking a new home, and he will explore one option with the Seahawks this weekend, according to multiple reports.
Seattle’s offensive coordinator position came open this week when coach Mike Macdonald fired Ryan Grubb. Grubb spent only one season in that role, replacing Shane Waldron last winter.
Macdonald cited vision differences with Grubb as a factor in his decision. If the Seahawks are looking for more balance in their offense with a greater dedication to the running game, Brown might emerge as an intriguing candidate.
It’s worth noting that Brown and Macdonald overlapped for one season at Georgia in 2011 when Brown was the program’s strength and conditioning coach and Macdonald was a quality control coach.
Wednesday
Bears interviewed former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel
What it means: Vrabel, who went 54-45 over six seasons with the Titans, is one of the hottest names in this hiring cycle. A consultant for the Cleveland Browns this season, Vrabel already interviewed with the New York Jets and reportedly has the New England Patriots on his schedule for Thursday. Vrabel, 49, played eight of his 14 NFL seasons with the Patriots and is considered a front-runner for that job.
The former linebacker has a defensive background, so the Bears undoubtedly asked him to present a plan for quarterback Caleb Williams, including a list of potential coordinators and coaches who would accompany him to Chicago. Bears players who played under Vrabel in Tennessee said he is a no-nonsense, detailed coach who would set a standard from the beginning.
Bears interviewed Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing
What it means: Petzing, 37, has been an offensive coordinator for only two seasons with the Cardinals. This season he directed a top-10 rushing offense helped by quarterback Kyler Murray. Before the Cardinals, Petzing worked for the Cleveland Browns for three seasons, including as the quarterbacks coach in 2022. He also spent six seasons as a Minnesota Vikings assistant.
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon told Arizona reporters he was excited for Petzing to receive interest from other teams to be a head coach.
“He knows how to teach,” Gannon said. “He’s got really good command and can get the best out of people. He’s extremely intelligent and I think he knows what’s going on. He’s had some good experiences around a lot of good guys. … He’s been trained the right way.”
