Chicago Bears coaching search: Who we know are candidates for the job
With the regular season in the rearview mirror, the Chicago Bears have turned their focus toward a coaching search that will be one of the most significant processes in team history.
The Bears have heavy lifting ahead to close the gap on three division rivals who qualified for the playoffs. And they’ll have to hire a coach who can help them become more competitive quickly while also overseeing the development of quarterback Caleb Williams.
As players cleaned out the locker room at Halas Hall on Monday, Bears leaders upstairs were busy putting out feelers and lining up candidates to interview for the head coaching position. The Tribune has assembled a list of coaches who have had reported contact with the Bears — plus a look at what each might bring to the table.
Ben Johnson
Current post: Detroit Lions offensive coordinator.
Skins on the wall: The Lions finished the season as the NFL leader in points (33.2 per game) after ranking fifth in that category (27.1) in 2023. They also went 15-2, won the NFC North for the second consecutive season and clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
Why he’d make sense: Johnson, 38, is the hottest name in the 2025 hiring cycle, widely regarded as a bright and creative offensive mind with a special knack for creating belief and attaining buy-in from his players. The idea of pairing Johnson with Williams to unlock the quarterback’s full potential is appealing.
Johnson has brought out the best in Lions QB Jared Goff, who ranked second in the NFL this season in completion percentage (72.4%), passing yards (4,629) and passer rating (111.8) while throwing 37 touchdown passes.
Johnson’s offense totaled 68 touchdowns this season, and the Lions scored at least 30 points in 10 of 17 games. Compare that with the production of the Bears’ struggling offense — 33 touchdowns and two games with 30-plus points — and the reasons for intrigue are obvious.
Why it might not work: As with any candidate who lacks head coaching experience, it’s a guessing game to know how Johnson would succeed when responsible for overseeing an entire team and not just coordinating one unit. By his own admission, Johnson has needed time to improve his ability to delegate tasks and retain trust in the assistant coaches around him. Not every brilliant offensive mind has the leadership savvy of, say, Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan.
Furthermore, Johnson will draw significant interest from other teams with head coaching vacancies. The Jacksonville Jaguars are one suitor worth keeping tabs on.
Mike Vrabel
Titans coach Mike Vrabel looks on during a game against the Eagles, on Dec. 4, 2022, in Philadelphia. (Chris Szagola/AP)
Most recent post: Served as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns this season.
Skins on the wall: Vrabel won 54 regular-season games and two AFC South titles during his six-season run as the Tennessee Titans coach (2018-23). He led the Titans to the AFC championship game in 2019.
Why he’d make sense: As the Bears look for a no-nonsense leader with obvious presence to command the locker room and create accountability, Vrabel, 49, is right out of central casting. Two current Bears have experience playing under Vrabel in Tennessee and lauded his approach.
“A lot of bulls−−− is going to get cut out,” defensive end DeMarcus Walker said Monday. “I feel like discipline will be laid right down from the first day.”
Safety Kevin Byard was even more enthusiastic in his endorsement of Vrabel, calling him “a great football mind” and “one of my favorite coaches of all time.”
“One of the things we were great at in Tennessee were those little things,” Byard said. “When you’re talking about one-score games, we won the majority of those. Situational football? He was always excellent and on top of everything. I learned more football being a player under him than I have in my entire career playing football.”
Vrabel was also a three-time Super Bowl champion as a New England Patriots linebacker and was defensive coordinator for two division title teams with the Houston Texans. He has familiarity with Bears GM Ryan Poles, who was in the Kansas City Chiefs scouting department when Vrabel was a player there in 2009-10.
Why it might not work: As a defensive-minded coach, Vrabel would have to present a clear vision for his offensive coaching staff and developing Williams. Over six seasons in Tennessee, he cycled through four offensive coordinators: Matt LaFleur, Arthur Smith, Todd Downing and Tim Kelly.
Vrabel also might be the front-runner to fill the surprise vacancy in New England , where he spent eight years as a player.
Aaron Glenn
Current post: Lions defensive coordinator.
Skins on the wall: Like Johnson, Glenn has been part of the Lions’ impressive rise over the last four seasons, leading the defense during back-to-back NFC North title seasons. Detroit led the NFL in third-down defense this season (32.4%), and safety Kerby Joseph led the league with nine interceptions.
Why he’d make sense: While the Lions’ defensive production isn’t anywhere near as attention-grabbing statistically as their offensive output, Glenn’s ability to keep an injury-decimated unit together this season is a testament to his adaptability and leadership.
The Lions clinched the division and the NFC’s top seed Sunday night with a 34-9 blowout of the Minnesota Vikings. Glenn’s defense held the Vikings 90 yards and 17 points below their season averages, even with a long list of starters and key contributors on injured reserve — Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Derrick Barnes, Carlton Davis and John Cominsky among them.
Glenn, 52, spent 15 years as a cornerback for the New York Jets, Texans, Dallas Cowboys, Jaguars and New Orleans Saints and understands the NFL grind from that perspective. Lions players consistently praise his ability to be direct and demanding while also creating positive energy.
Why it might not work: Glenn has interviewed for head coaching jobs over the last three seasons but has yet to land his big opportunity. He might emerge as one of the top targets in New Orleans, where he played in 2008 and served as defensive backs coach from 2016-20 under Sean Payton.
As with every other defensive-minded candidate in this hiring cycle, Glenn would have to present a blueprint for accelerating Williams’ growth. Glenn’s vision for assembling an offensive coaching staff will be a crucial part of his presentation.
Brian Flores
Current post: Vikings defensive coordinator.
Skins on the wall: Throughout a long run in the Patriots scouting department and on Bill Belichick’s coaching staff, Flores was part of four Super Bowl winners. He was an instrumental part of the Vikings’ 14-win season in 2024.
Why he’d make sense: Flores, 43, was a college teammate of Poles at Boston College. He has a no-nonsense, demanding demeanor that could help cure some of what ailed the Bears this season.
He demands accountability, is detailed in how he coaches and, over the last two seasons in Minnesota specifically, has fostered an energized and belief-filled attitude among the Vikings defense.
The last time the Bears had a defensive overseer with the acumen and brilliance of Flores, it was Vic Fangio. And those results speak for themselves.
Why it might not work: Flores went 24-25 in his first head coaching job for the Miami Dolphins from 2019-21 and at times wore out players with his intensity. He can have a similar effect on assistant coaches.
For two seasons, he struggled to connect with young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who opened up last summer on “The Dan Patrick Show” with assertions that Flores shattered his confidence.
“If you woke up every morning,” Tagovailoa said, “and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong doing what you do, that you shouldn’t be here, that this guy should be here (instead), that you haven’t earned this right … how would that make you feel?”
Perhaps Flores has learned from that experience and is willing to change. But is that a gamble worth taking at such a critical stage of Williams’ development?
Mike McCarthy
Current post: Cowboys head coach.
Skins on the wall: McCarthy owns a ring from Super Bowl XLV with the Green Bay Packers. In 18 seasons as a head coach — 13 in Green Bay and five in Dallas — McCarthy has 11 seasons with at least 10 victories plus 14 playoff wins.
Why he’d make sense: Of all the candidates on the Bears list so far, McCarthy is easily the most accomplished and has tasted far more success over the last 20 seasons than anyone at Halas Hall.
McCarthy, 61, worked closely with Brett Favre in Green Bay, helped develop Aaron Rodgers into a four-time MVP there and guided Dak Prescott to an impressive 2023 season in Dallas. He has a deep library to draw from in his efforts to develop a quarterback.
Why it might not work: McCarthy had three consecutive 12-win seasons with the Cowboys but notched only one playoff win, then oversaw a disappointing 7-10 team this season.
And while owner Jerry Jones hasn’t extended McCarthy’s contract beyond this season, the Cowboys denied the Bears’ request this week to interview him. If McCarthy and the Cowboys don’t reach a new deal by Jan. 14, he would be free to meet with any team.
Anthony Weaver
Current post: Dolphins defensive coordinator.
Skins on the wall: Weaver spent two seasons as an assistant head coach under John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens, and in his first year in Miami, he oversaw a top-10 defense this season.
Why he’d make sense: Weaver, 44, has spent the bulk of his 13-season NFL coaching career as a defensive line coach and is highly regarded as a detailed coach whom players respond to.
The Dolphins defense quietly put together an impressive season, finishing in the top 10 in total yards and points allowed. Miami ranked fourth inside the red zone, allowing touchdowns on just 49.1% of possessions.
Weaver is another former NFL player, having spent seven seasons in the league after a standout college career at Notre Dame.
Why it might not work: In the final game of the regular season last weekend, with Miami needing a victory to keep its playoff hopes alive, the Dolphins allowed 375 yards and a season-high 32 points in a dispiriting road loss to the last-place Jets.
Sound familiar? Three years ago, in what turned out to be his last game as Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus’ unit laid an egg in a lopsided Week 18 loss to a last-place opponent, dashing his team’s playoff aspirations. It’s only one game, sure. But it’s not irrelevant.
It’s worth noting that Weaver runs a 3-4 defense in Miami, which would challenge the Bears to modify their personnel to fit the scheme, a chore that takes time.
Arthur Smith
Falcons coach Arthur Smith speaks from the sideline during a game against the 49ers on Oct. 16, 2022, in Atlanta. (John Bazemore/AP)
Current post: Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator.
Skins on the wall: As the offensive coordinator under Vrabel in Tennessee in 2019 and 2020, Smith was part of two playoff teams and two playoff victories. The 2020 Titans averaged 30.7 points and ranked second in the NFL in total yardage (396.4 per game).
Why he’d make sense: During that explosive 2020 season, Derrick Henry topped 2,000 rushing yards, A.J. Brown was a 1,000-yard receiver and quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for 3,819 yards with 33 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 106.5 passer rating.
Smith, 42, found balance as a play caller and was able to bring out the best in his key playmakers.
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Why it might not work: Smith’s three-year run as the Atlanta Falcons head coach was underwhelming at best. In three consecutive 7-10 seasons, the Falcons never finished in the top half of the league in total yards and averaged just 19.6 points per game.
This season the Steelers experienced a dramatic production fall-off during a four-game losing streak to end the regular season. During that skid, Pittsburgh has averaged 14.3 points and 259 yards.
With a candidate like Ben Johnson potentially available, a union with Smith would feel like a massive exercise in settling and hoping.
Mike Kafka
Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka, a St. Rita graduate, talks with quarterback Patrick Mahomes during practice for the Super Bowl on Jan. 29, 2020, in Davie, Fla. (Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Current post: New York Giants offensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
Skins on the wall: Kafka was on the Chiefs offensive coaching staff when they won Super Bowl LIV.
Why he’d make sense: A St. Rita and Northwestern product, Kafka has hometown ties. More significantly, he was Patrick Mahomes’ quarterbacks coach under Andy Reid during Mahomes’ first five seasons in Kansas City.
During Mahomes’ four seasons as a starter with Kafka as his coach, he threw for 18,707 yards and 151 touchdowns as Kansas City won 50 regular-season and eight playoff games. There’s knowledge from that experience and insight gained through Reid that would be valuable and applicable to the Bears’ efforts to develop Williams.
Kafka also has a relationship with Poles that would prove useful in marrying a vision for the future.
Why it might not work: In league circles, the 37-year-old Kafka still is seen as quite green. And a leap onto a big stage as a head coach in a big market like Chicago seems like it might be a bit much at this point.
With the Bears locker room calling for a leader with an established, authoritative presence, taking a leap of faith in Kafka would be a huge gamble.
While Kafka helped the Giants reach the playoffs in 2022, with Brian Daboll winning Coach of the Year honors and quarterback Daniel Jones enjoying a breakthrough season, they fell on hard times the last two seasons, losing 25 of 34 games. They finished 31st in the NFL in scoring this season and 30th in total offense.
Drew Petzing
Current post: Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator.
Skins on the wall: Petzing’s offense in Arizona finished eighth in third-down efficiency this season and just outside the top 10 in total yardage.
Why he’d make sense: Petzing is lauded for his intelligence and communication skills and has a wide football lens to look through. He was a defensive back at Middlebury College in the mid-2000s before coaching for several years in the Ivy League. In the NFL, he has held roles inside the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends rooms.
Petzing was an offensive assistant with the Vikings under Mike Zimmer for six seasons while Bears President/CEO Kevin Warren was in that organization’s front office. Petzing wound up following Kevin Stefanski from Minnesota to Cleveland.
Why it might not work: At age 37 and with only two seasons as a coordinator under his belt, it might be a big leap for Petzing to take on the cleanup efforts required at Halas Hall along with the high-priority task of elevating Williams.
If stature is a thing, particularly on the big stage of Chicago, Petzing’s 5-foot-7 height is at least worth mentioning.
Todd Monken
Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken looks on before a game against the Texans on Sept. 10, 2023, in Baltimore. (Nick Wass/AP)
Current post: Ravens offensive coordinator.
Skins on the wall: On the way to the AFC North title, the Ravens led the NFL in total yards this season (424.9 per game) and had the No. 3 scoring offense (30.5 ppg). Monken also won back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 as Georgia’s offensive coordinator.
Why he’d make sense: The Ravens have had one of the most consistently explosive offenses in the league this season with quarterback Lamar Jackson amassing 5,087 total yards and 45 total touchdowns. Baltimore also leads the NFL in rushing (187.6 ypg). Monken’s play-calling feel and creativity have been instrumental.
Monken is a loud, to-the-point communicator and a fiery competitor. He has a charismatic personality and prides himself on his teaching ability and aptitude for finding strategic advantages. His offensive flexibility is well-documented. His play-calling work in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a bright spot on his resume as the Bucs led the league with 5,358 passing yards behind quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Monken, 58, also has ties to the area. He was born in Wheaton, is a Wheaton North alumnus and played quarterback at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. His father, Bob, was a longtime high school coach.
Why it might not work: When it comes to coaching vocabulary, Monken can run a little blue. So he might want to give Bears Chairman George McCaskey a heads up on keeping his “mic’d up” segments to a minimum.
Monken can tend to be a little impatient, which would be a test for him as he attempted to bring along a young quarterback like Williams, who has significant growth ahead of him.
Thomas Brown
Current post: Bears interim head coach.
Skins on the wall: Brown was Sean McVay’s assistant head coach and running backs coach when the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI at the end of the 2021 season. He recorded his first win as Bears head coach Sunday, a 24-22, last-second road victory over the Packers.
Why he’d make sense: Brown, 38, knows everything that went wrong with the Bears this season in all of its gory detail and can offer sharp perspective on the malfunctions plus solutions. His direct leadership style resonated with players and he seems to have a knack for challenging Williams in the ways the quarterback wants to be challenged.
Brown also believes repairing everything that was broken at Halas Hall this season will take substantial time, which is his informal request to be given a little more time to continue his troubleshooting efforts.
“Everybody assumes stuff gets changed because you snap your fingers,” Brown said Monday. “That is not how change happens. Change happens over time. And I think oftentimes when you’re making radical changes, things get worse before they get better.”
Why it might not work: Circumstances can be cruel sometimes. And while Brown was put in a challenging and virtually unwinnable position — transitioning from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator to interim head coach over a turbulent four-week period in November — there just wasn’t enough on-field production during his time in that final role to enhance his candidacy for the full-time gig.
The Bears lost Brown’s first four games as head coach by an average score of 27-11 while the offense sputtered to an average of 252 yards. One gritty season-ending win over a depleted Packers team carries only so much weight.
Vance Joseph
Current post: Denver Broncos defensive coordinator.
Skins on the wall: The Broncos recorded an NFL-best 63 sacks this season while boasting a top-three run defense and a top-three red-zone defense.
Why he’d make sense: Joseph, 52, is a highly regarded defensive mind who might be able to restore the edge on that side of the ball. On the Broncos’ way to 10 wins and a wild-card berth this season, his defense had two players selected to the Pro Bowl: outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
Joseph also has previous head coaching experience with the Broncos (2017-18), history he could lean on if given another crack at occupying that chair. Furthering his perspective, he has coached in six organizations over the past 20 years under six head coaches: Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary, Gary Kubiak, Adam Gase, Kliff Kingsbury and Sean Payton.
Why it might not work: Joseph’s record as the Broncos head coach was a less-than-inspiring 11-21. And in the last two seasons back in Denver as the defensive coordinator, the Broncos have suffered some attention-grabbing lapses. During a 1-5 start in 2023, they allowed an average of 33.3 points per game, including a 70-20 loss to the Dolphins in which Denver allowed 726 total yards.
The Broncos defense also slumped down the stretch of this season, allowing 30 points or more in three of four December games as the team was fighting for its playoff life.
Additionally, Joseph’s preferred 3-4 system might require personnel overhauls to the current Bears depth chart.
David Shaw
Current post: Broncos senior personnel executive.
Skins on the wall: Shaw, 52, was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year four times during his 12 seasons at Stanford and was honored as the national coach of the year in 2018. He propelled the Cardinal to three conference championships, eight consecutive bowl appearances and two Rose Bowl victories.
Why he’d make sense: Before becoming Stanford’s head coach, Shaw spent five seasons as a college assistant under Jim Harbaugh at San Diego (2006) and Stanford (2007-10). His father, Willie Shaw, was a longtime college and NFL defensive coach.
Shaw was Stanford’s offensive coordinator for Andrew Luck’s first two seasons and the head coach for Luck’s final season there, giving him insight on how to tap into the playmaking ability of elite quarterback talent. He also coached star running back Christian McCaffrey for three seasons in Palo Alto, Calif.
Why it might not work: While Shaw spent nine seasons as an NFL assistant coach in Philadelphia, Oakland and Baltimore, he hasn’t coached in the league since 2005. In his current capacity in Denver, he has been aiding Broncos GM George Paton with college and pro talent evaluation.
It would be an outside-the-box gamble by the Bears to test Shaw’s mettle as an NFL head coach at a time when the organization probably can’t afford the risk.
Pete Carroll
Current post: Seattle Seahawks adviser (stepped down as head coach after the 2023 season).
Skins on the wall: The Seahawks won eight NFC West titles, earned 10 playoff berths and won Super Bowl XLVIII under Carroll from 2010-23. During nine seasons as USC’s coach, he won two national championships and coached three Heisman Trophy winners.
Why he’d make sense: Carroll is a proven winner and energizing leader . Over 14 years with the Seahawks, he won 227 regular-season and 10 postseason games, including a blowout Super Bowl win over the Broncos in February 2014.
Carroll helped get Russell Wilson’s career off the ground when the quarterback arrived in Seattle as a third-round pick in 2012. He also helped veteran QB Geno Smith revive his career.
Carroll has long been regarded around the league as a force of nature who exudes charisma and positive energy with a knack for creating belief and connection within his teams. From a leadership standpoint, he checks a lot of the boxes the Bears have established as priorities.
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Why it might not work: Carroll’s expertise is on the defensive side, so he would have to present a clear plan for how he would elevate Williams and the Bears offense.
Also, Carroll turned 73 in September. And his arrival at Halas Hall might force the Bears to reconfigure their power dynamics as far as roster control is concerned.
Joe Brady
Current post: Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator.
Skins on the wall: Brady was the passing game coordinator under Ed Orgeron at LSU in 2019, when the Tigers won the national championship with a record-setting offense led by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. He earned the Broyles Award that season as the nation’s top assistant coach.
Why he’d make sense: Brady knows a thing or two about explosive offense, as evidenced by the NCAA-best 48.4 points per game LSU averaged in 2019. He is overseeing a similar fireworks show in Buffalo this season with the Bills averaging an AFC-best 30.9 points. The Bills parlayed that success into another division title and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
Quarterback Josh Allen has taken his game to new heights with Brady as his play caller and just completed an MVP-caliber regular season with 4,262 total yards and 40 total touchdowns. The Bills have gone 19-4 since Brady was promoted late in the 2023 season to replace Ken Dorsey as coordinator.
Brady has earned a reputation as an easygoing but demanding coach to whom players connect and respond. He has found great balance with the Buffalo offense this season. The Bills use multiple styles and a multitude of playmakers to win. And Brady’s continued growth as a play caller has been notable.
Why it might not work: Brady just turned 35 in September, and it’s a guessing game as to how he would handle the full-plate responsibilities of overseeing an entire team while being the figurehead of an NFL franchise.
Bears fans looking for a glass-chewing, vibrant presence might not love Brady’s low-key nature. It’s also worth noting that Brian Daboll was a red-hot coaching candidate three years ago after having high-level success coordinating the Bills offense. And Daboll has struggled to flourish as the Giants head coach.
Matt Campbell
Current post: Iowa State head coach
Skins on the wall: Campbell was honored as the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Why he’d make sense: Campbell finished an 11-win season at Iowa State with a 42-41 victory over Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. So there’s that — momentum perhaps as he considers a potential jump from the college ranks to the NFL.
Campbell has had previous opportunities to test the NFL waters and was highly regarded by the Lions four years ago before they ultimately hired Dan Campbell for their head coaching job.
Matt Campbell, though, has posted a 64-51 record over nine seasons at Iowa State, credited for lifting a struggling program to success it hadn’t enjoyed previously. He is praised for his energy and leadership savvy and coached current 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy for four years at Iowa State.
Why it might not work: The leap from the Big 12 to the NFL is a big one, especially for a coach who has never spent a day in the league in any capacity. That feels like a gamble the Bears aren’t currently in a position to take.
Questions about how Campbell’s leadership style would translate in the NFL also exist. And with the Bears hoping to zero in on a new coach who can set a demanding tone in their locker room, hiring Campbell would require a big leap of faith.
