Thanks to new NFL rules, the Chicago Bears won’t hire a head coach for at least a couple of weeks. That makes it relatively certain that they will talk to at least a dozen candidates. By all accounts, this search is run by the pairing of GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren. Interview requests have started surfacing over the past 24 hours. So far, 11 names have been mentioned. More are expected to follow. Here is who is known. The tracker will update as information flows through.
Ben Johnson (OC, Detroit Lions)
Many view him as the favorite. He’s coordinated one of the NFL’s best offenses for three consecutive years despite lacking true star power.
Aaron Glenn (DC, Detroit Lions)
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A former player who has kept the Lions defense respectable through a laundry list of injuries. He is known for fiery leadership and an aggressive mentality.
Todd Monken (OC, Baltimore Ravens)
Won two national championships as offensive coordinator for Georgia. Now has helped Lamar Jackson put together back-to-back MVP-caliber seasons.
Drew Petzing (OC, Arizona Cardinals)
Young assistant who worked with Warren for six years in Minnesota. Has considerably improved Arizona’s offense over the past two years, especially on the ground.
Mike Kafka (OC, New York Giants)
Strong ties to Ryan Poles from their time together in Kansas City. Highly thought of around the league and was viewed as a head coach-in-waiting. Setbacks in New York have sagged his stock, though.
Brian Flores (DC, Minnesota Vikings)
He was teammates with Poles in college and had a decent but controversial three-year stint as head coach in Miami. Has rehabbed his image with excellent work in Minnesota.
Mike McCarthy (HC, Dallas Cowboys)
Becomes a free agent in mid-January. Has been a head coach for 18 seasons, posting winning records in 12 of them while winning a Super Bowl in 2010.
Arthur Smith (OC, Pittsburgh Steelers)
He was the former head coach in Atlanta, where he had some decent seasons but never posted a winning record, largely due to quarterback problems. Has helped improve Pittsburgh’s offense this year.
Mike Vrabel (FHC, Tennessee Titans)
He ran the show in Tennessee for six seasons, posting four winning records and making the playoffs three times. Reached an AFC championship in 2019.
Anthony Weaver (DC, Miami Dolphins)
Defensive line specialist who got his first crack at coordinating this year. Significantly improved Miami’s defense, a long-time weakness, into a top-10 unit.
Thomas Brown (IHC, Chicago Bears)
He got handed a shit sandwich from the start. Made the best of it, beating the Packers in the season finale and ensuring the locker room doesn’t fracture further.
David Shaw (FHC, Stanford)
Checks both boxes of having head coaching experience and an offensive background. Shaw helped develop Andrew Luck before going 96-54 during a long, successful run in college.
Joe Brady (OC, Buffalo Bills)
One of the youngest coordinators in the NFL. He’s been considered a rising star ever since he helped Joe Burrow win a Heisman and national title in 2019. Now he has Josh Allen in the MVP chase.
Pete Carroll (FHC, Seattle Seahawks)
The Super Bowl champion and likely future Hall of Famer spent this past season in presumed retirement. Now he’s hoping to get back into the action, and the Chicago Bears are a premium target.
Kliff Kingsbury (OC, Washington Commanders)
This one felt inevitable. Kingsbury has head coaching experience from Texas Tech and Arizona. He has helped Jayden Daniels to a surefire Rookie of the Year season and worked with Caleb Williams at USC.
Matt Campbell (HC, Iowa State)
Ryan Poles promised surprises. This is the first one. Campbell has been a head coach in college since 2011. In that time, he’s only had two losing seasons.
Ron Rivera (FHC, Washington Commanders)
It felt inevitable that the Bears would include somebody with franchise ties. Rivera played for the team as a linebacker, coached as their defense for the 2006 Super Bowl team, and has been a head coach for two different franchises in Carolina and Washington.
Marcus Freeman (HC, Notre Dame)
Warren has deep college connections and Freeman was drafted by the Bears years ago. He’s gotten the Irish to the national championship game for the first time in 13 years.
Adam Stenavich (OC, Green Bay Packers)
He might not be known for his play calling, but Stenavich is widely lauded as one of the best offensive line specialists in the NFL and has worked magic in Green Bay for years.
