John Fox has one game left to run the Chicago Bears. Will he be able to go out on a high note? Given the lopsided defeats he’s suffered the past two years in Minnesota, one might say that’s unlikely. It seems rather fitting that he suffers his final defeat as head coach at the hands of an NFC North opponent. He is 3-14 to this point against the division. After that fans will finally have an idea of what the GM Ryan Pace coaching list will look like.
Best information to this point indicates only that the list is extensive. It involves every notable top coordinator in the NFL, especially the offensive minds. Matt Nagy in Kansas City, Pat Shurmur in Minnesota, Frank Reich in Philadelphia and of course Josh McDaniels in New England are all being considered. The same goes for top defensive minds like Matt Patricia, Teryl Austin and Steve Wilks among others.
It doesn’t stop there though. Expectations are Pace will delve into the college ranks as well. Jim Harbaugh of Michigan is the popular name due to his Bears history. His former right hand man David Shaw at Stanford is also a hot commodity. However, people may not realize just how extensive the college coaching dig might go.
Ryan Pace coaching list includes some obscure college names
Shaw and Harbaugh are the big fish in the college ranks, but a source reached out to me with information that the Bears list will include other, less prominent names as well.
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“Bears have added Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma State state head coach Mike Gundy, Washington head coach Chris Petersen, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to their growing list.”
This is proof Pace is indeed dead set on finding his guy. Lincoln Riley took over for Bob Stoops in 2017 as head coach of the Sooners. It didn’t take him long to make an impression as the team is in the College Football Playoff for the first time. Mike Gundy has enjoyed a long reign at Oklahoma State, winning 113 games since 2005. During that time he’s also cultivated a reputation for developing quarterbacks. Brandon Weeden was a 1st round pick and now Mason Rudolph may end up the same.
Kyle Whittingham has also had a protracted run at Utah, putting out a steady stream of quality future NFL players while also enjoying an 11-1 record in bowl games. The most intriguing name of that list though might be Chris Petersen. Only 53-years old, he’s been a head coach since 2006 and already has 128 career victories. His reputation has become one of turning lesser programs into powerhouses.
Petersen transformed both Boise State and Washington into contenders
He first showed up on the national radar at Boise State. Before him the school had a rather pedestrian football background. Almost overnight they became a national power. It started off with a bang in 2006 when his team shocked Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, one of the greatest games ever played in college football history.
Under his watch Boise State finished a season ranked six times in eight years. In 2014 Petersen was lured away by Washington to become their new head coach. This job took a little more time but in the past two years his team has gone 22-4 and reached the playoff in 2016. It’s clear the man is accomplished at getting the most out of his players. That Pace is aiming to meet with him is a welcome sign that the Bears GM plans to explore every avenue.
