The vultures are starting to circle. Even as the 2024 season is not yet over, rumors are picking up with names that have interest in the Chicago Bears head coaching job. Thomas Brown has shown that he is unequal to the task, as last night’s clunker against Seattle showed. He isn’t ready yet. This team needs somebody who is. Probably the biggest surprise came out on Christmas Day when Adam Schefter revealed former Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll hopes to return to coaching next year, and has his eyes on the Bears job.
It’s surprising because most felt the possible future Hall of Famer had retired after stepping down in Seattle. He’s 73 years old. However, the pull of the sideline is strong. Bill Belichick already returned by taking over at North Carolina. Carroll is hoping to stay in the NFL. It isn’t shocking he is interested in the Bears job. The more interesting part is that the organization is interested in talking to him. Albert Breer of the MMQB confirmed that on the Thursday Night Football broadcast.
There is no harm in speaking to Pete Carroll for the Bears.
This man is one of the most successful coaches of the past two decades. He won two national championships at USC and then got the Seahawks their first Lombardi trophy in 2013. He’s a proven winner who also has a knack for developing quarterbacks like Carson Palmer, Russell Wilson, and Geno Smith. Few know more about coaching than him. It can’t hurt to pick his brain and hear him out. That could go a long way in helping the Bears learn what to look for in other candidates they meet with going into next month.
Would they consider actually hiring him? That feels unlikely. Pete Carroll turns 74 next year. Coaches at that age tend to lack the energy and focus required to win championships. That is why it happens so rarely. The Bears want somebody they can hopefully pair with Caleb Williams in the long term. Carroll can’t promise that. It would take a truly impressive pitch on his part to sway them, maybe including some succession plan. Then again, it’s best to expect the unexpected with this team.
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Ask Ben Johnson if he could see two years of having Pete Carroll as his “organizational CEO” and Thomas Brown in a Adam Stenavich “offensive coordinator” role. Stenavich has organized the Packers offensive line and receivers core, as well as quarterback’s coach to support Jordan Love, while Matt LaFleur calls plays. Obviously Johnson has never managed an entire team, and having Pete Carroll by his side for 2 years would be huge, and as long as each of these guys realize that “winning” and supporting Williams is the goal, it could work. Ben Johnson has never really developed a quarterback… Read more »
Carroll will not bring in Waldron.
Waldron was not his kind of coach, although I have no idea why Waldron was released after a year except Waldron his behind Geno Smith, DJ Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Carroll actually seemed to like his coaches developing young players (instead of hiding them on the bench behind fading, but still useful veterans).
Waldron. buried Jaxson Smith-Njigma and never made use of Kenneth Walker and Zack Charbonnet. (Waldron , like Eberflus, was getting ready to be fired).
I thought it was a stupid idea until I started looking at who thought it was stupid. So stupid me started rethinking this: Pete Carroll knows how to build organizations , hire and manage coaching groups and develop players. Have him head coach with a lot of assistants. He hired Darrell Bevell in Seattle, but he also built the USC team before Seattle and he already made his mistakes and fired by the Jets. The Bears don’t need another guy to “see if he can do it.” They need a mentor who is going to step down in a couple… Read more »
Carroll is still better looking than Breer.
We can’t really fault Brown for the mess we have seen the last several weeks. He didn’t have a training camp, and doesn’t have time to fully install a new offense, he has to work with the pieces Waldron left behind, and maybe add in a few new concepts, like the Moore WR jet sweeps and WR screens. He’s calling those because they have a chance of working, unlike about 80% of the Waldron offense. That said, I agree that he’s not ready to be a HC, and should get an OC gig next year with a solid HC as… Read more »