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The season is over and the offseason is upon us in Chicago. How did we get here? It feels like yesterday that Ryan Poles gave a vote of confidence to former head coach Matt Eberflus and denied having an interest in talking to ex-Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Now, a year removed from that press conference, the Chicago Bears find themselves in an all-too-familiar spot as an organization: beginning a head coaching search under the belief that the general manager and quarterback in place can take this franchise back to the top of the league’s landscape as long as they nail the coaching hire. That was the plan in 2012 and again after 2017.
Each time, the team’s failure to press reset and align the hiring of GM and head coach backfired. Then again, it backfired when the organization operated differently after 2014 and 2021.
JUMP TO:
AARON GLENN | ANTHONY WEAVER | ARTHUR SMITH | BEN JOHNSON | BRIAN FLORES | DAVID SHAW | DREW PETZING | JOE BRADY | JOSH MCCOWN | MIKE KAFKA | MIKE MCCARTHY | MIKE VRABEL | THOMAS BROWN | TODD MONKEN | VANCE JOSEPH
When Poles was hired in 2022, his search lasted just 48 hours before reports surfaced that the team had selected Eberflus to replace Matt Nagy. This search will drag on longer, both due to the extreme importance and league restrictions.
[HOGE: How to hire an NFL head coach in 2025, Part 2: Experience and bonus factors]
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Poles and team president and CEO Kevin Warren can only interview candidates who aren’t employed by teams and those whose season has already ended. The exception? Staff members from the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions – No. 1 seeds with first-round byes. Interviews with coaches from those teams must be completed by Jan. 13 and can only be done via video conference.
We’ll update this tracker with written and video content throughout the entirety of the coaching search. Thanks for following along!
LAST UPDATED: Tuesday, January 7, 12:12 p.m.
REPORTED INTERVIEWS/REQUESTS
AARON GLENN
CURRENT ROLE: Detroit Lions defensive coordinator
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Cleveland Browns (2014–2015) | Assistant defensive backs coach
- New Orleans Saints (2016–2020) | Defensive backs coach
- Detroit Lions (2021–present) | Defensive coordinator
ANTHONY WEAVER
CURRENT ROLE: Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- New York Jets (2012) | Assistant defensive line coach
- Buffalo Bills (2013) | Defensive line coach
- Cleveland Browns (2014–2015) | Defensive line coach
- Houston Texans (2016–2019) | Defensive line coach
- Houston Texans (2020) | Defensive coordinator & defensive line coach
- Baltimore Ravens (2021) | Defensive line coach & run game coordinator
- Baltimore Ravens (2022–2023)| Assistant head coach & defensive line coach
- Miami Dolphins (2024–present) | Defensive coordinator
ARTHUR SMITH
CURRENT ROLE: Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator
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NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Washington Redskins (2007–2008) | Defensive quality control coach
- Tennessee Titans (2011) | Defensive quality control coach
- Tennessee Titans (2012) | Offensive quality control coach
- Tennessee Titans (2013) | Offensive line
- Tennessee Titans (2014–2015) | Assistant tight ends coach
- Tennessee Titans (2016–2018) | Tight ends coach
- Tennessee Titans (2019–2020) | Offensive coordinator
- Atlanta Falcons (2021–2023) | Head coach
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2024–present) | Offensive coordinator
BEN JOHNSON
CURRENT ROLE: Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Miami Dolphins (2012) | Offensive assistant
- Miami Dolphins (2013–2015) | Assistant quarterbacks coach
- Miami Dolphins (2015) | Tight ends coach
- Miami Dolphins (2016–2017) | Assistant wide receivers coach
- Miami Dolphins (2018) | Wide receivers coach
- Detroit Lions (2019) | Offensive quality control coach
- Detroit Lions (2020–2021) | Tight ends coach
- Detroit Lions (2021) | Passing game coordinator
- Detroit Lions (2022–present) | Offensive coordinator
BRIAN FLORES
CURRENT ROLE: Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- New England Patriots (2008–2009) | Special teams assistant
- New England Patriots (2010) | Assistant offense & special teams coach
- New England Patriots (2011) | Defensive assistant
- New England Patriots (2012–2015) | Safeties coach
- New England Patriots (2016–2018) | Linebackers coach
- Miami Dolphins (2019–2021) | Head coach
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2022) | Senior defensive assistant & linebackers coach
- Minnesota Vikings (2023–present) | Defensive coordinator
DAVID SHAW
CURRENT ROLE: Denver Broncos senior personnel executive
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Philadelphia Eagles (1997) | Offensive quality control coach
- Oakland Raiders (1998–2000) | Offensive quality control coach
- Oakland Raiders (2001) | Quarterbacks coach
- Baltimore Ravens (2002–2004) | Quarterbacks & wide receivers coach
- Baltimore Ravens (2005) | Wide receivers coach
DREW PETZING
CURRENT ROLE: Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Cleveland Browns (2013) | Football operations intern
- Minnesota Vikings (2014–2015) | Offensive assistant
- Minnesota Vikings (2016–2017) | Assistant wide receivers coach
- Minnesota Vikings (2018) | Assistant quarterbacks coach
- Minnesota Vikings (2019) | Wide receivers coach
- Cleveland Browns (2020–2021) | Tight ends coach
- Cleveland Browns (2022) | Quarterbacks coach
- Arizona Cardinals (2023–present) | Offensive coordinator
JOE BRADY
AGE: 35
HOMETOWN: Pembroke Pines, Fla.
COLLEGE: Williams & Mary
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CURRENT ROLE: Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- New Orleans Saints (2017–2018) | Offensive assistant
- Carolina Panthers (2020–2021) | Offensive coordinator
- Buffalo Bills (2022–2023) | Quarterbacks coach
- Buffalo Bills (2023) | Interim offensive coordinator
- Buffalo Bills (2024–present) | Offensive coordinator
MIKE KAFKA
CURRENT ROLE: New York Giants offensive coordinator
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Kansas City Chiefs (2017) | Offensive quality control coach
- Kansas City Chiefs (2018–2019) | Quarterbacks coach
- Kansas City Chiefs (2020–2021) | Quarterbacks coach & passing game coordinator
- New York Giants (2022–2023) | Offensive coordinator
- New York Giants (2024–present) | Assistant head coach & offensive coordinator
MIKE MCCARTHY
CURRENT ROLE: Dallas Cowboys head coach
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Kansas City Chiefs (1993–1994) | Offensive quality control
- Kansas City Chiefs (1995–1998) | Quarterbacks coach
- Green Bay Packers (1999) | Quarterbacks coach
- New Orleans Saints (2000–2004) | Offensive coordinator
- San Francisco 49ers (2005) | Offensive coordinator
- Green Bay Packers (2006–2018) | Head coach
- Dallas Cowboys (2020–present) | Head coach
MIKE VRABEL
CURRENT ROLE: Cleveland Browns personnel consultant, contract expired
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Houston Texans (2014–2016) | Linebackers coach
- Houston Texans (2017) | Defensive coordinator
- Tennessee Titans (2018–2023) | Head coach
- Cleveland Browns (2024) | Coaching and personnel consultant
THOMAS BROWN
CURRENT ROLE: Chicago Bears interim head coach
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Los Angeles Rams (2020) | Running backs coach
- Los Angeles Rams (2021) | Assistant head coach & running backs coach
- Los Angeles Rams (2022) | Assistant head coach & tight ends coach
- Carolina Panthers (2023) | Offensive coordinator
- Chicago Bears (2024) | Passing game coordinator
- Chicago Bears (2024) | Offensive coordinator
- Chicago Bears (2024–present) | Interim head coach
TODD MONKEN
CURRENT ROLE: Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator
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NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2007–2010) | Wide receivers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016–2017) | Offensive coordinator & wide receivers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018) | Offensive coordinator
- Cleveland Browns (2019) | Offensive coordinator
- Baltimore Ravens (2023–present) | Offensive coordinator
VANCE JOSEPH
CURRENT ROLE: Denver Broncos defensive coordinator
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- San Francisco 49ers (2005) | Assistant defensive backs coach
- San Francisco 49ers (2006–2010) | Defensive backs coach
- Houston Texans (2011–2013) | Defensive backs coach
- Cincinnati Bengals (2014–2015) | Defensive backs coach
- Miami Dolphins (2016) | Defensive coordinator
- Denver Broncos (2017–2018) | Head coach
- Arizona Cardinals (2019–2022) | Defensive coordinator
- Denver Broncos (2023–present) | Defensive coordinator
CONFIRMED INTERVIEWS
Well… we’re waiting. Candidates will move here once we know an interview with the Bears has been conducted.
OTHER CANDIDATES
JOSH MCCOWN
CURRENT ROLE: Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach
NFL COACHING EXPERIENCE
- Carolina Panthers (2023) | Quarterbacks coach
- Minnesota Vikings (2024–present) | Quarterbacks coach
OTHER HEAD COACHING VACANCIES
- Jacksonville Jaguars – fired Doug Pederson after three seasons
- New England Patriots – fired Jerod Mayo after one season
- New Orleans Saints – fired Dennis Allen during third season
- New York Jets – fired Robert Saleh during fourth season
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