After a 5-12, last-place season that included 10 consecutive losses and the in-season firings of coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, the Chicago Bears are now embarking on a search to hire the franchise’s next head coach.
General manager Ryan Poles said the search committee he is leading will cast a wide net, speaking with coaches from many backgrounds. Candidates will interview with a six-person panel, including Chairman George McCaskey, President Kevin Warren, Poles, director of football administration Matt Feinstein, senior director of player personnel Jeff King and chief HR officer Liz Geist.
“We’re turning every stone to make sure we’re doing this the right way,” Poles said. “We’re going to move with urgency, but we’re not going to rush the process. Again, because we want it to be a sound process.”
The Tribune is tracking the latest developments with news, notes and nuggets from the search.
Wednesday
Bears interviewed former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel
What it means: Vrabel, who went 54-45 over six seasons with the Titans, is one of the hottest names in this hiring cycle. A consultant for the Cleveland Browns this season, Vrabel already interviewed with the New York Jets and reportedly has the New England Patriots on his schedule for Thursday. Vrabel played eight of his 14 NFL seasons with the Patriots and is considered a front-runner there.
The former linebacker is a defensive-minded head coach, so the Bears undoubtedly asked him to present a plan for quarterback Caleb Williams, including a list of potential coordinators and coaches who would accompany him to Chicago. Bears players who played under Vrabel in Tennessee said he is a no-nonsense, detailed coach who would set a standard from the beginning.
Bears interviewed Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing
What it means: Petzing has been an offensive coordinator for only two seasons with the Cardinals, with whom this season he directed a top-10 rushing offense helped by quarterback Kyler Murray. Before the Cardinals, Petzing worked for the Cleveland Browns for three seasons, including as the quarterbacks coach in 2022. He also spent six seasons as a Minnesota Vikings assistant.
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon told Arizona reporters he was excited for Petzing to receive interest from other teams to be a head coach.
“He knows how to teach,” Gannon said. “He’s got really good command and can get the best out of people. He’s extremely intelligent, and I think he knows what’s going on. He’s had some good experiences around a lot of good guys. … He’s been trained the right way.”
