Another Defensive Candidate

Doug Pederson, former Eagles head coach

Won Super Bowl LII after the 2017 season with Philadelphia with backup Nick Foles beating New England. Also beat the Bears in 2018 in the playoffs at Soldier Field 16-15. Had a 58-49 record in 5 Eagles seasons. A former backup QB in Green Bay, he also was Kansas City's offensive coordinator 2013-15 when they finished 21st, 25th and 27th in yardage but sixth, 16th and ninth in scoring.

Dennis Allen, Saints defensive coordinator

Saints defensive coordinator since 2015, head coach for Oakland 2012-14 and defensive coordinator in Denver in 2011. His Saints defenses have been seventh in 2021 and fourth in 2020 for yards allowed and fourth and fifth in points allowed. Allen's Raiders teams were 8-28 and he was fired four games into the third season.

Leslie Frazier, Bills defensive coordinator

A former Bears cornerback, Colts defensive backs coach against the Bears in Super Bowl XLI and current Buffalo defensive coordinator. He was Vikings head coach 2010-2013, finishing 2010 as an interim coach, and had a 21-32-1 record, his only winning season being 10-6 in 2021. With Buffalo under Sean McDermott his defenses have been ranked 26th, second, third, 14th and first since 2017. He was defensive coordinator for Lovie Smith in Tampa in 2014-15 and they ranked 25th and 10th.

Todd Bowles, Buccaneers defensive coordinator

Jets head coach 2015-2018 with a 24-40 record including 10-6 but no playoff berth in 2015, interim head coach in Miami in 2011, 2-1 record. As Buccaneers defensive coordinator his defenses were 15th, sixth and 13th the last three years and in Arizona were sixth and 24th in 2013 and 2014.

Byron Leftwich, Buccaneers offensive coordinator

An NFL assistant coach since 2016, he has been a coordinator since 2018 in Arizona under Steve Wilks, then the last three years under Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay. The offenses he worked with in Tampa have been second in yards in 2021, third in 2020 and third in 2019, the last two years with Tom Brady as QB. They have never been higher than 24th in rushing. The 2019 Tampa Bay offense was first in passing with Jameis Winston at QB, and first in 2021 in passing with Brady, second with Brady in 2020.

Brian Daboll, Bills offensive coordinator

An offensive coordinator since 2009, his Bills offenses have been fifth in yards this year and second in 2020 after ranking 24th in 2019 and 30th in 2018. Instrumental in developing QB Josh Allen. They have been ninth and third in passing yards the last two years and first in scoring this year. They were top 10 in scoring each of the last three years. None of his offenses in Kansas City (2012), Miami (2011) or Cleveland (2009-10) ranked higher than 22nd or higher than 20th in scoring. Was a Patriots defensive assistant and wide receivers coach 2000-2006 and Jets QB coach 2007 and 2008. Alabama's offensive coordinator in 2017 national title season.

Jim Caldwell, former head coach Detroit and Indianapolis

Coached Colts to Super Bowl XLIV where they lost on a pick-6 of Peyton Manning. His only playoff wins as a head coach came that year. Now 67 years old, he had a 62-50 record in seven seasons as head coach for Detroit and Indianapolis and was 2-4 in the postseason. He was 36-28 in Detroit and 26-22 with the Colts, including 14-2 the run to Super Bowl XLIV in his first year. A former Wake Forest head coach, he came into the NFL in 2001 with Tampa Bay as QB coach, then was Colts QB coach from 2002-2008 before becoming head coach. His Baltimore offenses as coordinator in 2012 and 2013 were ranked 25th and 10th.

Dan Quinn, Dallas defensive coordinator

Former Atlanta head coach and current Dallas defensive coordinator, he also was defensive coordinator for Seattle. His Dallas defense in 2021 led in takeaways, was 19th in yards allowed and seventh in scoring allowed. He had a 43-42 record as Falcons head coach, with losing records the last three years, 10-6 in 2017 and 11-5 in 2016 when they led New England 28-9 in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI and lost 34-28 in overtime. His 2013 Seahawks defense was the Legion of Boom that won the Super Bowl and ranked first overall. Started out in the NFL in 2001 as a 49ers assistant and his first season as an NFL defensive coordinator was Seattle's Super Bowl winning season.

Brian Flores, former Dolphins head coach

A former Patriots linebackers and safeties coach, he was Miami's head coach from 2019-21 with records of 5-11, 10-6 and 9-8. The Dolphins had two seven-game losing streaks in those seasons and he never made the playoffs He was fired after reports of dissension between himself and personnel, and after going through four offensive coordinators in three years. His Dolphins defense ranked 27th this season, 16th in 2020 and 14th in 2019. His offenses were 25th, 22nd and 27th. A former scout for four years with the Patriots, He never served as a defensive coordinator.

Nathaniel Hackett, Packers offensive coordinator

An NFL offensive coordinator since 2013 and with the Packers since Matt LaFleur became head coach in 2019. His Packers offense finished fifth in yards in 2020 and led in scoring that season. They were 10th in scoring and yards this season and have led the NFL in fewest intercepted passes the last three years. He had success as Jacksonville coordinator in 2017 when they made the AFC championship game, as they led the NFL in rushing and finished sixth in yardage. He was OC for three seasons with Blake Bortles as QB in Jacksonville, and for two seasons prior in Buffalo. His first Bills offense in 2013 was second in the NFL in rushing.

Matt Eberflus, Colts defensive coordinator

The first coaching candidate granted a second interview, he is 51 years old, a graduate of Toledo and a defensive coordinator for four seasons in Indianapolis under coach Frank Reich. The Colts have ranked 11th (2018), 16th, eighth and 16th in those years. They were top 10 in scoring defense three of the four years and top 10 in takeaways and interceptions all four years, including second in 2021. Before Indianapolis, Eberflus was linebackers coach in Dallas from 2011-2017 and in Cleveland in 2009 and 2010. He was a defensive coordinator eight years at Missouri in college football.

Considering the Bears have a rookie quarterback who needs developing, the makeup of their list for head coach could cause a few raised eyebrows.

New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen joined the list of known Bears candidates for head coach. Da Bears Blog initially reported this and then NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Friday confirmed it. The Bears are to talk to Allen Tuesday.

The only known second interview granted is to a defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus off the Indianapolis Colts.

Where this all leads is Bears fans should brace for this possibility: Even after watching Chicago offenses ranked 21st or worse for 19 of the last 22 years, they are going to have a new head coach from the defensive side of the football.

It's not certain yet, although, if you listen to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, or ESPN's Dan Graziano then the favorite is former Bears cornerback Leslie Frazier rather than Eberflus. All of this seems based on Bill Polian's involvement on the hiring committee.

"The name that's consistently come up with the Bears is Bills defensive coordinator, and former Vikings coach, Leslie Frazier," Breer wrote. "He's got experience and the leadership traits they’re looking for, with obvious ties to the franchise from his days as a Bears defensive back in the '80s, and he's also got connections with Bill Polian, who has a strong voice in the search, having been hired to consult. Polian and Frazier won a Super Bowl together in Indianapolis. (It's worth noting that Jim Caldwell has connections to Polian too)."

The #Bears will interview #Saints respected DC Dennis Allen on Tuesday, via zoom, source said. This is their latest scheduled interview and perhaps their last in the first round.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 21, 2022

Allen would be a coach much like Frazier, a defensive coordinator who was once a losing head coach and now is with a winning team. The difference here is Allen operates his own defense under a head coach who had an offensive background.

Allen's Saints defenses ranked top half of the league each of the last four years, top seven the last two years and top half of the league in takeaways for five years.

His defense shut out Tom Brady this year and kept the Saints afloat. New Orleans' offense ranked 28th on offense this year despite Sean Payton's brilliance. They finished 9-8 and one win came with Allen as head coach because Payton had COVID.

The main reason it seems possible the Bears will hire a defensive-oriented head coach is Polian's participation in the process. He hired Dom Capers, Tony Dungy and Jim Mora as head coaches with Carolina and Indianapolis. All were from the defensive side.

The only head coach Polian hired who was an offensive coach was Caldwell, who is considered by some as a favorite for the Bears job. But with that hire, Caldwell was simply promoted from the coaching staff after Dungy retired.

The other head coach Polian hired was Marv Levy, whose roots go back so far that he really didn't have an offensive or defensive assistant's background. He started in football when they had smaller staffs. His mentor in the NFL was a defensive coach. It was none other than George Allen, director of the 1963 Bears championship defense and the man who should have been Bears head coach if George Halas had used common sense and retired after the 1963 season. The assistant coaching experience Levy had was as a special teams coach, although later in the NFL he became known for the K-gun offense after he was Bills head coach.

None of this should necessarily mean disaster for the Bears' quarterback-coach relationship. Building that is one of the main goals with a coach hiring, according to what Bears board chairman George McCaskey said.

One contingency plan for the Saints, if Sean Payton were to walk away in the next year or two, would be for GM Mickey Loomis to move into upper executive role, with Ireland elevated to GM, Allen to HC.

We mentioned the Allen/Ireland idea last month. Could it happen in Chicago?
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 21, 2022

"Our conversations with Bill Polian, he told us it's that relationship between the general manager and the head coach and the relationship between the head coach and the quarterback that will determine the success of your team," McCaskey said when announcing the start of the coaching and GM hunts.

There are plenty of successful relationships between head coaches from the defensive side and the quarterback.

Bill Belichick wouldn't have six Super Bowl rings without this. Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw represented this in the 1970s and, in fact, all three Super Bowl-winning Steelers coaches had this type of situation with their quarterback.

The key is finding the head coach from the defensive side who hires the right offensive people.

Dan Quinn hired Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator. It would be difficult arguing he fouled that up.

Dennis Allen has been working under Sean Payton since 2015 so he should have a good idea about people who know offense well. Allen hired Greg Olson for his 2013 Raiders, a bright spot in an organization mired then in mediocrity or worse.

Frazier hired Bill Musgrave as his Minnesota OC. Musgrave had a few top-10 offenses during his 10 years as an NFL OC but had teams ranked in the bottom half of the league in scoring seven times.

Frazier had one winning season when he first took over in Minnesota and then struggled, but has had solid results as a coordinator again for four years in Buffalo.

Some of the other defensive side candidates have enjoyed excellent success when they were head coaches. Dan Quinn had a team in the Super Bowl and should have won. Todd Bowles and Brian Flores had teams with double digits in wins, although Flores is receiving plenty of interest from other teams now.

Hiring off the defensive side worked out well with Lovie Smith, not so well with Dick Jauron, Dave Wannstedt or John Fox. Recent offensive hires have been no more impressive, with Marc Trestman and Matt Nagy.

One thing the Bears haven't tried recently is a head coach who had been a special teams coach. The last one was named Ditka and he worked out much better than the others.

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