Luke Getsy wasn’t the first name that came to mind when new head coach Matt Eberflus sought a new offensive coordinator. He later explained the two had a relationship, and he considered the 37-year old a bright, innovative mind. More than that, he knew an offensive system that Eberflus wanted the Chicago Bears to run. It is the outside zone running offense. It is better known as the Shanahan Offense since it was popularized by former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan in the 1990s.
Others have utilized this system to great success in recent years. His son Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Sean McVay in Los Angeles. Matt Lafleur in Green Bay. Getsy spent three years working in that offense with the Packers. This helped him gain intimate knowledge of its concepts and all the requirements to run it. The next part is assembling his staff. Here is where things got interesting. Most expected the Bears to seek out the biggest and best names on the market.
Instead, they’ve opted for a series of experienced but lesser-known guys.
- Chris Morgan (offensive line)
- Tyke Tolbert (wide receivers)
- Andrew Janocko (quarterbacks)
These aren’t coaches that would be considered the cream of the crop in terms of name power. However, there is something they all have in common, something that makes Getsy’s decision to hire them seem far more competent than people realize. All of them have served time in the Shanahan-style offense at one point or another. Morgan coached it for two years under Kyle in Atlanta, reaching the Super Bowl in 2016. Tolbert worked in it for two years with the Denver Broncos under Gary Kubiak, winning the Super Bowl in 2015. Janocko also worked under Kubiak in 2020 with the Minnesota Vikings.
This approach demonstrates that Getsy understands the fundamental truth of the Shanahan offense. It isn’t easy. People fail to understand how difficult this system is to execute. Getting players to grasp it takes time and takes even longer if coaches who don’t know it have to learn it. Conor Orr of the MMQB wrote about this last summer.
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“The difference with Shanahan’s offense and its various clones is that it’s extraordinarily difficult to teach, especially up front, because, for offensive linemen, most of the required movements are unique to this scheme. Blocking schemes require specific personnel that exclude a lot of standard, lumbering type linemen…
…So, having the playbook and the play-caller is one thing. Having the person, or people, to turn some chemically doctored brown swill into whiskey? That’s a different issue altogether, leaving some to wonder whether there’s a coaching crisis on our hands, or just a bunch of premature spirits waiting to ripen.”
Luke Getsy is hoping to streamline the learning process
The fastest way to install this variation of the Shanahan offense is by constructing a staff of coaches that know how it’s supposed to work. These aren’t unaccomplished acquisitions either. Two of them went to Super Bowls. Tolbert has a ring, and Morgan would have one if not for Tom Brady. Janocko is incredibly young but has risen rapidly through the ranks. So he has potential. This approach isn’t about flash. It is about what is best for the team and the identity they want to establish.
This is where Luke Getsy feels so different from Matt Nagy. He knows what he wants his offense to be and is finding specific coaches to help make that a reality. Nagy seemed to seek out assistants at random that had proven experience. The fact he overhauled his staff after just two years tells you how questionable that approach was. Eberflus and Getsy wanted to make sure everybody was on the same page from the beginning.
One can make a safe assumption the remaining hires will follow this trend.
Next on the agenda will be determining the players that fit the system, especially on the offensive line. GM Ryan Poles had a lukewarm assessment of the front five from last season. Changes feel like they’re coming, and they could be extensive.
