With 20 Potential Candidates in Bears’ Coaching Search, Here are Five Contenders to Watch
It took the Patriots a week to hire Mike Vrabel as their new head coach.
In that week, the Raiders and minority owner Tom Brady targeted Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their top choice and launched an all-out recruiting blitz.
Even the Cowboys, who dawdled about what to do with coach Mike McCarthy, made moves within hours of parting with him Monday, with owner Jerry Jones reaching out to Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
Meanwhile, the Bears’ list of candidates gets longer every day. With their request Monday to talk with Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, they now have interviewed — or will interview — 20 candidates.
Why does it always look so much easier everywhere else?
A Wide Net Casts a Wide Shadow
As Poles laid out the parameters of the search, his point was that there weren’t any. Everything was on the table, maybe even a reverse Ted Lasso if the Bears could lure the right soccer coach from Europe.
‘‘We’re going to cast a wide net; it’s going to be a diverse group,’’ Poles said. ‘‘We’re turning every stone to make sure we’re doing this the right way. . . . There’s going to be some names that you don’t expect.’’
Five Contenders to Watch
The five candidates most likely to advance to the finalist stage are Ben Johnson, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, McCarthy, and Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
All but Johnson have head-coaching experience. All but Carroll coached in the NFL this season. Carroll and McCarthy have championship rings as head coaches, and Flores has four as a Patriots assistant under Bill Belichick. Johnson and Kingsbury come with concerns, but either would be ideal to pair with quarterback Caleb Williams.
Johnson and Kingsbury: The Coach/Quarterback Connection
Johnson and Kingsbury are the choices if the Bears want to establish the coach/quarterback connection that has eluded them for decades, and Williams spoke highly of both. Their teams will face off Saturday at Ford Field in a matchup between top-five offenses.
Flores, Carroll, and McCarthy: The Experienced Coaches
If the Bears want to go with more of a CEO-style, experienced coach, which seems very much like something Kevin Warren would want, they have good options in Carroll and McCarthy. Both have 18 seasons in the books as a head coach, know what the total picture should look like and what the standards should be at each position. Carroll had good-to-great offenses for most of his time in Seattle, and McCarthy had great defenses for most of his time in Dallas.
Flores: The Overcorrection
And if the Bears want to make a massive overcorrection after a season in which players complained about overall sloppiness and inattention, there’s little doubt Flores would tighten things up. He lets nothing slide — perhaps to his detriment.
The Questions Remain
While Flores remains a prominent candidate for the Bears and the rest of the league, there should be serious trepidation about handing him a young quarterback after what the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa said about their time together.
Conclusion
The Bears have a lot to consider as they whittle down their list of 20 candidates. While the NFL’s elongated schedule for the hiring cycle buys them time, they would be better off spending it on quality than on quantity.
FAQs
Q: How many candidates has the Bears interviewed so far?
A: 20
Q: Who are the top five contenders to watch?
A: Ben Johnson, Brian Flores, Pete Carroll, Mike McCarthy, and Kliff Kingsbury
Q: Who is the most likely to be hired?
A: It’s too early to say, but Ben Johnson and Kliff Kingsbury are strong contenders
