Ben Johnson continues to make progress on filling out his coaching staff with multiple names surfacing as candidates for the offensive coordinator role, including one the Chicago Bears considered for the head coaching position.
A league source told the Tribune on Saturday that the Bears are interviewing former Stanford coach David Shaw for the offensive coordinator position. Shaw, 52, was a senior personnel executive for the Denver Broncos this season.
He was one of the 17 known candidates the Bears interviewed for the job that went to Johnson on Monday. Shaw was the head coach at Stanford from 2011-22 and last worked in the NFL in a four-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens from 2002-05 as quarterbacks and wide receivers coach. He also worked previously for the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles.
The team is also interviewing Denver Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle for the position. Doyle has been the Broncos tight ends coach for two seasons and before that spent four seasons as an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints.
NFL Network reported the Bears interviewed Bo Hardegree for the job as well. Hardegree was an offensive assistant for the Bears in 2015 on John Fox’s staff and was quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2016-18 where he worked with Johnson. Hardegree was quarterbacks coach for the Tennessee Titans last season after two years with the Las Vegas Raiders as quarterbacks coach and interim offensive coordinator.
Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork is also being interviewed for the offensive coordinator job, according to CBS. He’s been with the Cardinals the last two seasons after two years with the Cleveland Browns.
The Bears are believed to be considering Dan Roushar, a Northern Illinois graduate, as a candidate to be offensive line coach. Roushar is in that role at Tulane. He worked for the Saints for 10 seasons with the connection to Johnson being through Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell. Roushar led some successful offensive lines when working for the Saints. He previously coached at NIU and Illinois.
While no announcement has been made official, multiple sources believe former Saints and Raiders head coach Dennis Allen will be hired as defensive coordinator. CBS reported the Bears are interviewing Minnesota Vikings defensive pass game coordinator Daronte Jones for the defensive coordinator position. Jones was an assistant defensive backs coach for the Dolphins when Johnson worked in Miami under coach Adam Gase.
On Friday, the Bears hired Antwaan Randle El as wide receivers coach, J.T. Barrett as quarterbacks coach and Al Harris as the secondary coach. Randle El and Barrett are coming from the Lions. Harris is coming from the Dallas Cowboys.
Richard Hightower is believed to have a strong chance to remain as special teams coordinator.