Names to Consider for a Potential Bears Coaching Vacancy

The lines begin forming for NFL coaching jobs early.

With two straight ridiculous losses and six straight overall, as well as three straight in three weeks within the NFC North, Matt Nagy has to be considered in danger of losing his job even by the most conservative football analysts.

The McCaskey family hasn't exactly succeeded at bringing in coaches. Ask Dave McGinnis. They couldn't hire Nick Saban when they had the chance and tried.

Here are 10 names to help until the actual firing occurs:

BRANDON STALEY

Well of course the Bears should have a head coach named Staley when that was the team's original nickname. He is the cutting-edge candidate who would be more of a hot prospect than even Nagy was with the Chiefs, simply because Nagy was well known and had been in the league for a decade before getting his chance. Staley doesn't turn 38 until this week.

Pluses: The defense could revive instantly if Staley returned to Chicago, where his NFL career started as Vic Fangio's outside linebackers coach. Staley was Khalil Mack's position coach with the Bears in 2018 and worked with Von Miller in 2019 before his first experience as a defensive coordinator this year with the Rams. What Staley has done with the Rams has been nothing short of remarkable. They're second in yardage allowed, fourth in scoring defense and have been extremely effective closing out games by allowing the fewest second-half points in the league. What this shows is real ability to make adjustments and know his personnel. Sure, he has Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey but the Rams don't have much better personnel than they had under Wade Phillips and they were not a top-10 defense then, and in Chicago he'd have Mack, Eddie Jackson, Kyle Fuller and Akiem Hicks. Staley knows almost all the Bears defensive personnel. Staley has even made use of Leonard Floyd this year.

Minuses: What does he know about offense and who are his contacts to bring in who could run an offense when he's been in the league only since 2017? The inexperience factor is huge here. The former Northern Illinois assistant was at John Carroll University in Division III for 2015 and 2016 before he got to the NFL.

Conclusion: This would be a defensive answer to the Packers having Matt LaFleur as coach. LaFleur had been an offensive coordinator only two years prior to being hired by Green Bay as a hot, young head coach prospect. One of those years was under Sean McVay so he wasn't exactly doing play calling, but LaFleur has succeeded. So experience might not be everything as long as it's the right experience. Working under Fangio makes it the right experience. He would have to be accompanied by strong, proven offensive-side experience because of his own overall lack of it.

JIM HARBAUGH

Let's not mince words. Harbaugh failed at Michigan. The program had already descended where it has no place being and Harbaugh hasn't elevated it to a place it should be considering the school's reputation, history and opportunity for recruiting success. Harbaugh originally was a Bear as a first-round draft pick, but is not a perfect candidate even if he did experience tremendous success at San Francisco.

Pluses: Harbaugh doesn't have to rely on recruiting in the NFL, just a GM. He never had a losing season in four 49ers years, and turned around a mediocre team into a 13-3 playoff threat in one season. Harbaugh is a fiery type who had a knack for bringing in veteran coaches beneath him who have real ability to communicate their message. The Bears definitely could benefit from more fire, not just intensity like Nagy has. After a modern-era coach who sounds like Marc Trestman because he talks about bringing people together and loving and honesty and feelings, it would be a refreshing change to have someone tougher and nastier with a reputation for competing and a history with the franchise.

Minuses: After his failure at Michigan, you have to wonder how much of a head coach he really is. Much of Harbaugh's success in San Francisco had to do with those assistants he had, particularly Vic Fangio's defense. It certainly wasn't Colin Kaepernick or Alex Smith and the offense. He also has the type of personality where he'd have to also be the GM besides being the coach.

Conclusion: This would be high risk, like with Staley, except for different reasons.

DAVE TOUB

Well known in Chicago as Lovie Smith's special teams coordinator, the coach of Devin Hester, Robbie Gould and numerous Bears special teams success stories. He's been a candidate for several head coaching jobs but hasn't really been considered a serious candidate because he's a special teams coach.

Pluses: Chicago ties. His son, Shane, is on the Bears staff. Toub was greatly respected, even revered in Chicago and has been in Kansas City as well, a guy everyone liked from the players, to management, to fans and media.

Minuses: He's another Andy Reid disciple. Haven't they exhausted this emphasis considering the guy never won a Super Bowl until he had Patrick Mahomes last year?Beyond this, it's always difficult to gauge how a special teams coach will do as a head coach.

Conclusion: Special teams coordinators don't make good head coaches? John Harbaugh would argue that. The only Bears coach ever to win a Super Bowl was a special teams coach.

ROBERT SALEH

An intense defensive coordinator for the 49ers who has produced. He took over the league's worst defense, had them 24th overall first, then 13th and last year second during a Super Bowl season. They are still sixth this year, despite a lack of help from an offense which stuggled since losing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Pluses: The intensity shoots out of his eyes like laser beams. He looks like he's a head coach right now. He's very experienced within the NFL as an assistant at lower levels from 2005-2016. His charisma alone might land him a coaching job.

Minuses: His approach up front on defense might require drastic personnel change. He's running a four-down pass rush style. A player like Akiem Hicks might be squeezed out in his style of defense. They tend to use faster, stronger, lighter defensive linemen. He has never had any coaching experience related to offense, so his judgment on the other side of the ball will always be a question.

Conclusion: A coach for a traditional rebuild because of his lack of offensive knowledge or experience. It's going to take two or three years for success. A gutted team starting over would be perfect for Saleh. Does Bears management have the kind of patience required for this type of thing?

ERIC BIENIEMY

Chiefs offensive coordinator who has been a head-coaching candidate before, with interviews with the Giants and Panthers.

Pluses: He knows this Bears style of offense as a Reid disciple.

Minuses: He knows this Bears style of offense as a Reid disciple.

Conclusion: After seeing how this Kansas City thing is not quite the same when you don't have Reid and you don't have Patrick Mahomes, they might need to think outside the Chiefs offensive box.

BRIAN DABOLL

Everyone wanted to unleash the wealth of Patriots assistants who learned under Bill Belichick but their success has been limited so far. This is an assistant who has actually learned under both Belichick and Alabama's Nick Saban. So his pedigree is high.

Pluses: He's persistent and with a vision. He didn't mind serving as an underling assistant with the Patriots while they continued to go with Josh McDaniels as a coordinator, then was willing after winning a Super Bowl to go to Alabama so he could get a chance to be an offensive coordinator, and got a national title with the Tide. He has shown with the Bills he can bring along a quarterback, as he's had good success with Josh Allen.

Minuses: There might not be enough proof of success within the NFL as a coordinator to indicate he can succeed as a head coach. His Bills offenses never improved to a great extent until this year, and they're ranked 10th. Leadership qualities with a large group like a team have to be questioned, as well.

Conclusion: Should be considered a really viable candidate with proven success overall and understanding of offenses. He also greatly values the running game.

DON "WINK" MARTINDALE

Martindale doesn't get talked about much in head coaching hunts but he's a long-time NFL assistant who took over the Ravens defense and immediately got them to No. 1 in the league, then fourth in 2019 and eighth this year all while supporting a one-dimensional offense. Early in his coaching career he was part of Jack Harbaugh's coaching staff in college, so he has ties to John Harbaugh in more than one way.

Pluses: His defensive experience has been with a team where the Bears system actually started and it's a style easily converted.

Minuses: No offensive experience of any kind throughout a long career in the NFL and college football as an assistant.

Conclusion: He's certainly qualified to be given a shot but his years in the league without really being considered until he had a Giants interview last year have made him more of a lifetime assistant. The one plus is he has been in the league so long he has a good idea about what types of offenses work because he's had to work to stop them.

MIKE MCDANIEL

If you wanted a coach who could counter the Packers, then take the one responsible for the running game that pounded it down their throats in the NFC title game last year. He's the run game coordinator for the 49ers and a bit of a long shot but one with experience despite being only 37 years old.

Pluses: Experienced, although he hasn't been an offensive or defensive coordinator. He's been with the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos besides the 49ers as he started in the league at a young age. His running games haven't been based on a particular player. Anyone they put on the field runs it and it's all on the blocking scheme.

Minuses: A real risky candidate who would need to sell himself in terms of having leadership skills because he's more of a design and skills coach.

Conclusion: Needs more seasoning and to become an offensive coordinator somewhere. Whoever the Bears hire as a head coach should give him consideration as an offensive coordinator if they're serious about getting back to running the ball.

LINCOLN RILEY

Possibly the most creative offensive college mind at the moment. He's had success bringing along quarterbacks in his Oklahoma offense and could be at a point in his career where the next step is logically the NFL.

Pluses: Has developed Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray while showing he can win at a major Division I power with a 43-8 record. He coached under Kliff Kingsbury, so if Kingsbury is a coach you consider cutting edge in NFL offense then this might be a good choice.

Minuses: It's not even known if he really has a desire to be an NFL coach, although his name has been brought up in the past as a possibility with Dallas. Has never shown an ability to coach an NFL-style running game capable of balancing out the passing attack. Defensive concerns would exist, as well.

Conclusion: You really have to be sold on that high-octane offense as being possible to win with in the NFL. It takes a real running game against athletes this good.

PAT FITZGERALD

Northwestern's coach has overachieved in a difficult place to win, with nine bowl seasons in 13 years. Greatly respected by Bears management and also the Packers.

Pluses: Tremendous Xs and Os and at motivating less talented players. The Wildcats had been a joke at times over the years but Fitzgerald has made them a perennial challenger.

Minuses: He hasn't topped out as a champion, just an overachiever. There is no reason to think he can take college experience to the NFL and face the best athletic ability in football with his approach. He isn't necessarily innovative as much as a respected motivator and strategist.

Conclusion: Tremendous at what he does and should stay there.

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