Who will the Chicago Bears hire? Here’s what to know about the coach and GM searches.
The Chicago Bears are in the market for a new general manager and head coach.
While the move to fire coach Matt Nagy was expected as the losses piled up in his fourth season, GM Ryan Pace’s fate after seven years in his role seemed less clear over the last month.
Ultimately after the 6-11 season, Bears Chairman George McCaskey also cut ties with Pace, whose teams posted a 48-65 record, qualified for the postseason twice and failed to record a playoff victory.
So who will the Bears hire? We’ve got possible head coaching and general manager candidates to keep an eye one, plus the latest moves and interview requests from around the NFL.
- The Bears interviewed Brian Flores for their coaching vacancy. Here’s what to know about the former Miami Dolphins coach.
- The Bears interviewed Jeff Ireland for their GM vacancy. Here’s what to know about the New Orleans Saints assistant general manager.
- The Bears interviewed Champ Kelly for their GM vacancy. Here’s what to know about the team’s assistant director of player personnel.
- The Bears interviewed Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for their GM vacancy. Here’s what to know about the Cleveland Browns VP of football operations.
- The Bears interviewed Glenn Cook for their GM vacancy. Here’s what to know about the Cleveland Browns VP of player personnel.
- The Bears interviewed Doug Pederson for their coaching vacancy. Here’s what to know about the former Philadelphia Eagles coach.
For the latest Bears news, follow Brad Biggs, Colleen Kane and Dan Wiederer — and sign up for our free alerts on your phone, desktop and inbox.
Here’s what to know about the search for a new Bears coach and general manager.
‘The roster needs work.’ How does the Bears coaching job stack up with the other NFL openings? A look at how attractive each team is.
How attractive is the Bears coaching job? Quarterback Justin Fields is considered a young player with upside. Ownership has supported its football operation, recently pouring a ton of money into a renovation of Halas Hall. The Bears are considered an attractive home and have some young talent on the roster.
The Tribune polled 19 league executives, coaches and veteran agents with knowledge of rosters and how teams operate, asking them to rank the seven openings, which assumes the Raiders job opens.
George McCaskey promises a ‘thorough, diligent and exhaustive’ search for the next Bears GM and coach after firing Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy
During an hourlong video conference, George McCaskey said he consulted “a number of people” in NFL circles before making the decisions and finalizing his conclusion Sunday night. He said Bears owner Virginia McCaskey, 99, also was consulted as part of the team’s board of directors.
“Everybody wants to win one for her,” McCaskey said. “And we’re doing everything we can to make that happen. At one point in our conversations, I asked her for her assessment of our season, and she said, as only a mother can, ‘I’m very, very disappointed.’”
How will the Bears conduct their searches for a new GM and coach? And what do we know about the search committee?
While George McCaskey said he ultimately will make the decision on the next GM and coach, the Bears assembled a five-person search committee — McCaskey, Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian, Phillips, vice president of player engagement LaMar “Soup” Campbell and senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion Tanesha Wade.
George McCaskey’s inability to recall when the Bears united with Bill Polian is peculiar. But Polian’s influence on the upcoming coach and GM searches is now paramount.
The revelation came subtly from Bears Chairman George McCaskey.
Bill Polian had been tabbed to jump into the driver’s seat for the upcoming coach and general manager searches. And, boy, were the most important leaders at Halas Hall pumped.
Yet McCaskey also seemed to be suffering from a bit of selective amnesia. He couldn’t remember exactly when Polian linked up with the team. “At some point during the season,” McCaskey said. “I can’t recall when.”
‘This is a results-driven league’: Bears players react to the firings of coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace
Running back David Montgomery acknowledged that he was emotional. Given the news that Bears coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace had been fired a day after the team finished its 6-11 season, Montgomery couldn’t wall off a combination of disappointment, sadness and sentimentality.
“It’s pretty emotional for me,” he said.
Pace was the GM who traded up in the 2019 draft to select Montgomery at No. 73 in the third round. Nagy was the energetic coach with whom Montgomery developed a close bond during their three seasons working together.
Even if the news wasn’t all that stunning to anyone inside or outside of Halas Hall, the finality still packed a punch.
From George Halas to Matt Nagy: What was said about each Bears coach when they were hired
The day a new Bears coach is introduced can be one of the most thrilling for fans.
As the search to find the next coach of the Bears begins, here’s a look back at when each of the team’s previous 16 coaches were introduced by team management.
How Matt Nagy’s 34-31 record stacks up with other Bears coaches
With a loss to the Vikings in the last game of the 2021 season, Bears coach Matt Nagy ended his fourth — and final — season with the team with a 34-31 record.
Here’s a look back at how Nagy’s coaching record compares, season-by-season and amongst 15 former Bears coaches.
The Bears are seeking their 17th head coach. Here’s a look at how past coaches fared — and when they left the franchise.
The Bears will be looking for their 17th head coach in the franchise’s 100-plus-year history. Some of the previous 16 were significantly more successful than others, but either way, the Bears never have fired a coach midseason — nice work if you can get it.
Here’s a look at how Bears coaches fared and what the circumstances were when they left the franchise.