After two weeks of work by George McCaskey and new GM Ryan Poles, the process is all but complete. The Chicago Bears have a new coaching staff filled entirely with different names. There will be no holdovers from previous regimes this time. The team wanted a clean slate, and they got it. Everybody wants to know whether this staff will be able to top the previous one or another dud in the making.
So here is an assessment of the staff. The head coach, all three coordinators, and the position coaches who stand out the most. Whether for good or bad reasons. One thing that is clear right away is the Bears opted for a staff that wasn’t big on name power. Instead, they seemed to prefer pieces interconnected by their experience in specific types of systems they’ve worked in elsewhere—an interesting tactic with plenty of logic behind it.
This Chicago Bears coaching staff is different and interesting
Head Coach: Matt Eberflus
In today’s NFL, the blueprint for success in the minds of many is hiring a top offensive mind and pairing him with a young quarterback. The Bears have tried this twice now with Marc Trestman and Matt Nagy. Both were failures. Still, it was a surprise to see them buck the trend to go with Eberflus. Not because the man was undeserving, mind you. He’d produced three top 10 defenses in four years with the Colts. He has 30 years of coaching experience. Eberflus was ready for this opportunity and has learned from some great head coaches like Nick Saban, Gary Pinkel, and Frank Reich. It wasn’t a flashy hire, but it was a solid one.
Offensive coordinator: Luke Getsy
Another unexpected move. Most believed Eberflus would opt for somebody with more experience to run the Bears offense given his defensive background. Similar to what Nagy did during his time. Nope. The head coach already had somebody in mind before he even got the job. That was Getsy. The Green Bay Packers passing game coordinator has little play calling experience, but his track record for helping quarterbacks excel is evident. He helped make life easier for Aaron Rodgers, who posted arguably the best three-year stretch of his career from 2019 to 2021. Much of that was due to Getsy’s ability to help scheme guys open. Many around the NFL believe he will soon be a head coach. A sign that the Bears got somebody good.
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Defensive coordinator: Alan Williams
Eberflus approached his defensive staff with simple logic. Since his defense in Indianapolis was top 10, the smart thing to do was bring the coaches with him to Chicago that helped make that happen. Most of the assistants hold the same jobs as they did with the Colts save for Williams. The longtime defensive backs coach gets his second crack at defensive coordinator after a two-year stint in Minnesota from 2012 to 2013. That run was a mixed bag. His first year saw a lot of improvement from before his arrival, with a top 15 finish in points allowed. Then they regressed to dead last his second year. Williams was in his early 40s at the time. He is far more seasoned now. Hopefully, he learned from his mistakes ten years ago.
Special teams coordinator: Richard Hightower
Despite only being 41-years old, Hightower has now coaching special teams since back in 2008. So he doesn’t lack experience. He was hired as the San Francisco 49ers special teams coordinator in 2017. A run marked by an early period of solid and a later period of primarily bad. Three top 15 finishes from 2017 to 2019 followed by 23rd and 26th the past two years. Was this him just being bad at his job? Not really. Injuries played a central role in that decline. San Francisco saw a staggering 35 players spend time on injured reserve or the PUP list in 2020. It was 25 this past year. When such losses happen, it is almost always the special teams that suffer the most.
Best assistant hires: Tyke Tolbert (WRs) and James Rowe (DBs)
When it comes to track record, few boast a better one than Tolbert as a wide receivers coach. He got an exception rookie year out of Anquan Boldin in 2003. He helped develop future standouts like Lee Evans and Steve Johnson in Buffalo, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker in Denver, and Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton in New York. Tolbert is good at his job. Rowe isn’t as proven on the NFL level, but when combining his time at college as well, it becomes impressive. His defense at Valdosta State led Division II with 27 interceptions. Appalachian State’s pass defense allowed less than 50% completions in 2020 thanks to his secondary. Last year Colts cornerbacks snagged eight interceptions, and Kenny Moore II made the Pro Bowl. This guy feels like an ascending talent.
Haven’t seen this drill for Giants WR this summer with Tyke Tolbert yanking their left arms as the football arrives pic.twitter.com/MaBg4V29JM
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) September 6, 2021
Most concerning assistant hires: Jim Dray (TEs) and Travis Smith (DL)
Helping Cole Kmet to realize his full potential after a promising (but inconsistent) second year seems essential for the Bears. So it was a surprise they put his future in the hands of Dray. While a former NFL tight end himself, the man has never coached the position before. Up until now, he has only been a quality control coach. The same problem goes for Smith on the defensive line. While he was the assistant defensive line coach in Las Vegas for the past three years, he has never run the position himself before. There is a distinct element of unknown involved here. Either the Chicago Bears did the smart thing by giving two promising young coaches an opportunity, or they gave responsibility to two guys unequal to their tasks.
Biggest takeaway: Youth movement
This is not the staff Nagy built. That much is certain. The former head coach often opted for assistants with extensive experience. A safe approach, if nothing else. Eberflus took that script and tossed it in the trash. Of the 11 primary assistant hires he’s made as head coach, five of them are under the age of 40. The oldest coach on their entire staff is Tolbert and he’s only 54. This is a young staff. In a way, it makes sense. Eberflus wants a team that plays with energy and intensity. He wants them hungry.
A great way to instill that mentality is with a bunch of coaches that operate the same way. Younger coaches always work like they have something to prove. What they lack in experience they make up for in zeal. By sprinkling some experienced guys like Tolbert, Chris Morgan, David Walker, and Williams into the mix, the Chicago Bears have a nice balance with this staff.
