Bear Digest

Chicago Bears employ retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. on staff for innovative coaching role

The Chicago Bears revamped their coaching staff this week, and it wasn’t only the hiring of Ben Johnson.
Lorin Cox|
A monument to a World War I US Army soldier inside Soldier Field.
A monument to a World War I US Army soldier inside Soldier Field. | Dennis Wierzbicki-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have a long history of supporting veterans, going as far as dedicating the stadium to them.

But more recently, Ryan Poles turned to the military to fill a key role on his staff.

The Chicago Bears hired retired U,S. Army Lt. Col. Andy Riise last year to be the team's Mental Performance and Leadership Coordinator.

While not an Xs and Os football coach, he does coach Bears players and other employees on the mental side of their game to help them perform their best.

Riise was a guest this week on Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer's podcast "Unbreakable" this week, where he talked about

"I don't do counseling or therapy that you traditionally think of," Riise told Glazer. "I'm more like a strength coach for the brain. My job is to help athletes perform better, and when they incur challenges on and off the field, to be able to bounce back."

Riise said the Bears also employ clinicians who provide traditional therapy for players' mental health, so the staff in Chicago is able to treat them in multiple ways.

According to Riise's LinkedIn profile, he started with the Bears in February of 2024. He worked for the U.S. Army in various capacities for 24 years, starting in 1996.

He previously worked as a mental performance coach in Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds.

The Chicago Tribune reported that when Caleb Williams made his pre-draft visit to Halas Hall, Poles had the young quarterback meet with Riise as part of the itinerary.

The Bears had plenty of moments on the field this year that could challenge a player's mental health, not to mention whatever else they might have going on in their lives.

Having Riise and a team of mental health professionals on staff can go a long way toward helping players be at their best from the neck up and the neck down.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the host of the Locked on Bears podcast and has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2016. He is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus and has written for NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today's Bears Wire. You can follow him on Twitter @CoxSports1.

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