From the start of December the Chicago Bears head coach problem was clear. John Fox had blown any remaining chances to keep the job. Poorly managed games and a below-average offense doomed him to a third-straight losing season. Barring a monumental twist by Bears management, he’ll be shown the door come January 1st. After that it’s a matter of finding the next man in charge.
Rumors are already circulating about which direction they may go. Persistent ones involve former Titans and Rams head coach Jeff Fisher. Others claim they might try to lure Jim Harbaugh from Michigan. Then there’s the prevailing belief they’ll want to target a young offensive mind, similar to what the Los Angeles Rams did with Sean McVay.
This of course comes with a great degree of risk. Not every young coach can be expected to do what McVay has. It’s never a wise decision to directly copy the exactly same plan of another team. It rarely works as well the second time. So what to do?
Well what if the Bears were able to get the best of both worlds?
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Bears head coach problem could be solved by Bill O’Brien
In essence the Bears want an offensive coach who can help develop Mitch Trubisky. At the same time they’d like to minimize the risk of inexperience. Well as it turns out the football gods may drop their answer right in their laps. According to the MMQB there is a growing belief that the Houston Texans and head coach Bill O’Brien are set to part ways this off-season.
“It’s seeming less and less likely that the Texans’ football hierarchy will return intact in 2018. That’s the final year of coach Bill O’Brien’s deal, and it’s hard to imagine the team would go into it with that unresolved and the relationship between coaching and scouting what it is now. If he’s available, there’s little question that O’Brien would vault to the top of many teams’ lists.”
O’Brien comes with a ton to offer. He’s been a head coach since 2012 when he took over at Penn State then became the Texans head man in 2014. During that time his team has made the playoffs twice while posting three-straight winning seasons. This year is the lone exception due in large part to a ridiculous string of injuries to top players.
One of the biggest selling points for O’Brien is his play calling prowess
If anybody needs to know why O’Brien could be perfect for the Bears, just look at his track record. The man is a wizard when he has an actual quarterback to work with. In 2011, his lone year as an offensive coordinator, he got Tom Brady to throw for the most yards (5,238) and second-most touchdowns (39) of his career. He got a 95.3 quarterback rating from Ryan Fitzpatrick and a playoff run from Brian Hoyer.
People just need to watch his work with Deshaun Watson earlier this season for an idea of what he can do. O’Brien not only understands how to attack in situations, he can mold an offense that best fits what the quarterback can do.
O’Brien has also proven he can assemble a strong defensive coaching staff to handle things on that side of the ball. To top it off he’s only 48-years old. There is plenty of prime years left for him. Getting a chance to pair a top play caller like him with Mitch might be too good to pass up. He’s well-respected in NFL circles and is known maintaining an air of discipline with his players.
There’s no reason to think the Bears couldn’t lure him in were he to become available.
