The Chicago Bears are going to be one of the most unpredictable teams a few weeks from now. That is mainly because nobody knows what will happen regarding their power structure. Most believe GM Ryan Poles is likely safe. However, the same can’t be said for everybody else. Head coach Matt Eberflus and quarterback Justin Fields again failed to pull out another winnable game in the 4th quarter. Frustration is mounting among fans, tired of consistently seeing this team fall apart. Nobody can say what is going to happen. However, there is a strong belief growing. Team president Kevin Warren will be the likely catalyst for any changes.
It’s been rumored for weeks that he has designs on a potential change at head coach, bringing in somebody he’s more familiar with. The question becomes, if that happens, how will Warren approach it? I did some research into his background during his previous NFL stint. One thing stood out. In every organization he worked for, their approach to hiring a new head coach was relatively the same. They targeted men with extensive experience, either as a former head coach or a longtime coordinator.
- Dick Vermeil – Former head coach
- Steve Mariucci – Former head coach
- Brad Childress – 13 years as a coordinator
- Mike Zimmer – 18 years as a coordinator
Here’s why I believe this is the same approach Warren will use.
- Vermeil: Won the Super Bowl in St. Louis
- Childress: Reached the NFC championship in Minnesota
- Zimmer: Reached the NFC championship in Minnesota
While it didn’t always result in a championship, such an approach often did lead to playoff success.
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Kevin Warren will have an interesting array of options.
Eberflus’ evaluation isn’t over yet. Three games remain in the season. Warren will want to ensure he has all the data available before deciding. People close to him say he often operates with cold logic in such situations. He’s not driven by emotions. So, it is likely he may already have an idea of what he will do. If a change is coming, these are names that fit the criteria.
- Jim Harbaugh – Head coach
- Dan Quinn – Former head coach
- Bill O’Brien – Former head coach
- Jim Schwartz – Former head coach
- Eric Bieniemy – 6 years as a coordinator
- Brian Schottenheimer – 13 years as a coordinator
- Brian Flores – Former head coach
- Harold Goodwin – 10 years as a coordinator
- Steve Wilks – Former head coach
- Darrell Bevell – 15 years as a coordinator
- Anthony Lynn – Former head coach
There could be somebody else Kevin Warren has personal connections to. The man is renowned for having a massive inventory of numbers on his phone. There could be coaches he knows that people have no idea about. Yet the assessment remains the same. If the Bears president decides to enact a coaching change, expect him to target somebody experienced.
How about we try these criterion? Actual winning track record as a HC. That leaves you w/ Harbaugh or Quinn. Experience? At doing what? You keep talking Erik about the other Eric, Bienemy. Since you have so many “sources” ask a simple question: Did Eric Bienemy or Matt Nagy CALL THE PLAYS in KC? The answer is that they did NOT. EVER. So quit talking about his experience. These other dudes are just “guys”. Bill O’Brien was fine at Alabama with 4 and more often than not, 5 star studs on offense. He was solid at Penn State at a… Read more »
It would be kinda neat to see Warren approach change by coming in hot with a nice, tight mohawk.
The video on Dick Vermeil is inspiring, I like his passion and character, but at 87 he’s hardly a candidate now. The main thing about Dick Vermeils success was that he had an offensive coordinator like Mike Martz and the talent to play that style of play. The greatest show on turf was explosive! Martz was offensive coordinator for the Bears back in 2010, under Lovie Smith, with Jay Cutler as QB and he wasn’t nearly as successful because the Bears simply didn’t have the offensive line to make it possible. Whatever the Bears decide it’s going to take a… Read more »
I write about Systemic Bias in how our organizations work. We used to make decisions based on “who we knew.” That was the “Old Boys Network.” As that kind of recruitment and personnel decision-making evolved, we went to “networking” because even peripherally knowing someone was better than simply a resume. The idea of “experience” or “titles,” just like education, cuts two ways: it either reveals or obfuscates what a person knows or their experience (good, bad, mediocre). Purely evaluating any candidate solely on their past education, history, creates a Systemic Bias. That is fine when our field is so large… Read more »
I agree with commented post on here that Warren’s job isn’t to hire and fire coaches … thats the GMs job….. his job is to hire and fire GMs…with that said… if Poles will look for another Head Coach..the only one on that list I would say is a no Brainer is Harbaugh. If he is going to get another Defensive Coach …just stick with Flus. If he would go the route of an offensive coach . I rather have him go after B. Johnson from Detroit. Not Bieniemy….there are already reports certain players in Washington don’t like him. Bears… Read more »