More Experience for Bears Staff

Offensive coaching position created by Bears for former Texas head coach Tom Herman

Another former head coach has joined the Bears coaching staff.

Matt Nagy on Monday announced the hiring of former Texas coach Tom Herman as an offensive analyst/special projects coach.

This is a new position on the staff. Two years ago they had Brad Childress on staff as a senior assistant but haven't had the offensive analyst/special projects spot.

Herman coached Texas to a 32-18 record in four seasons, ending with the 2020 trip to the Alamo Bowl and a 55-23 win over Colorado. Herman was fired in early January by Texas after going 4-0 in bowl games.

Longhorn insiders saw a poor situation in the recruiting wars as part of the reason for his firing. Plus, Texas, never made the step up to true elite status in the four years.

Herman had been Houston's head coach two seasons prior to coming to Texas. an assistant on staffs prior to Texas with Houston, Ohio State, Iowa State, Rice, Texas State, Sam Houston State and Texas Lutheran. He had a 13-1 record in 2015, his first season at Houston.

The Bears already had hired former Cleveland Browns head coach/Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant. So now there are three staff members with head coaching experience. 

Besides the overall coaching experience, Herman is known as a coach with solid offensive designs. His spread offenses had a balance of passing with power running.

With Ohio State on Urban Meyer's staff as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Herman won the 2014 Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach in a year when the Buckeyes took the national title. This was the Ohio State team with Cardale Jones as quarterback.

Herman's quarterback at Texas, Sam Ehlinger, is in the NFL draft this year and participated at the Senior Bowl.

The Bears also announced they had hired former Texans assistant strength and conditioning coach Anthony Hibbert as assistant strength coach under head strength  coach Jason Loscalzo. Hibbert was on the Carolina Panthers strength staff from 2009-11 and was with the New York Mets in 2012 and 2013. 

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