Bear Digest

Former coach finds another reason to ridicule Bears interviews

The Bears continue to come under fire for their lengthy list of candidates interviewing, but they also have been blasted by a former coach for the people doing the interviews.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears president Kevin Warren isn't the only person involved in these Bears coaching interviews, by a long shot.
Bears president Kevin Warren isn't the only person involved in these Bears coaching interviews, by a long shot. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt has built a good reputation for his commentary with WSCR-AM 670 as an analyst beyond his solid broadcast career in television during the past with college football.

Wannstedt's Bears opinion is always valued because of how he's connected around the NFL and on Monday he told WSCR's Mully & Haugh Show the Bears' exhaustive interview process exhausts him.

"I have never seen anything like this in all my life," Wannstedt told David Haugh and Mike Mulligan during his regular spot on their show.

There are almost as many people doing the interviews as there are people being interviewed. This is what bothers Wannstedt.

"I've been involved in a lot of coaching searches, and maybe I'm in the dark ages because I want to run the ball and nobody thinks you run the ball anymore in the NFL and that's fine," Wannstedt told WSCR. "You know, go ahead, maybe I'm in the dark ages because when I interviewed with the general manager, him and I looked each pther in the eye, we wet through everything that I thought I had to have to win, he laid out the plan (of) what they could and couldn't do on their end and then if he liked it he went back and talked to the owner and I went in and met with the owner and they offered me the job."

What the Bears are doing is involving people like HR director Liz Geist, senior director of player personnel Jeff King, director of football administration Matt Feinstein, stadium development COO Karen Murphy, president Kevin Warren, his special advisor Ted Crews in addition to GM Ryan Poles and team board chairman George McCaskey.

No word on whether head groundskeeper Kenny Mrock is involved.

"I mean, and my only feeling is, people from the business department and people from HR, they've got a different agenda than what I do as trying to win football games for your team and for your city," Wannstedt told Mully&Haugh. "So, and the more people you get in on those committees, the more opinions. Everybody feels now that they have a responsibility to say something. I don't know how you make concrete, sound decisions unless something falls in your lap. I'm confused."

Wannstedt had a lot more to say about the Bears coaching situation and it's worth a listen.

Wannstedt might have had a rough go in Chicago but he definitely had a solid NFL coaching career after he went to Miami, with four straight winning seasons. In Chicago he had a playoff berth, as well. He also acted as a de facto personnel boss in Chicago and part of the time in Miami, so he knows what personnel decisions and meetings are all about.

It's the old too many cooks in the kitchen spoiling the broth philosophy. Wouldn't it be better to simply tape the interview and let the unncessary people like the HR director, business people and others just review it if they absolutely have to do this?

Better yet, what happened to executive decisions made boldly by ownership and managers who have confidence in their own abilities to make them?

If Wannstedt thinks it's silly, then it's a good bet numerous others in the NFL think the same thing.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.