Bear Digest

Picking through the Bears staff for carryover coaching help

Analysis: The Bears coaching staff failed but there are some members of it who could be valued if given the chance by the in-coming Ben Johnson regime.
Gene Chamberlain|
Cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke has been with the Bears for two different stints and is highly respect around the league.
Cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke has been with the Bears for two different stints and is highly respect around the league. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Ben Johnson was born as an offensive coordinator from a head coaching switch.

Dan Campbell came to the Lions to rescue the organization but kept several existing position coaches on staff, even if they did come in under wildly unsuccessful Matt Patricia.

One was Johnson as tight ends coach, after the two were on the Miami Dolphins staff together.

In all, he retained four members of the old staff. Offensive line coach Hank Fraley was kept and promoted from assistant line coach. To other lower-level assistants were retained, defensive quality control coach Stephen Thomas and director of football research David Corrao. Corrao remains on staff as a linebackers coach.

Fraley, who has been invited for a second interview with Seattle as offensive coordinator, was a true holdover coach retained without direct coaching tie to Campbell but a player in the league while Campbell was playing.

Sometimes the coaching talent is there and the fit is good enough for a head coach to retain some of the old group.

As bad as the Bears were his year after the way they slapped together a coaching staff last year with numerous changes for Year 3, there are some real talents at Halas Hall who would be worth considering for the new staff.

It would depend largely on the input from new coordinators, in addition to Johnson. Especially with reported defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, there is a long NFL past from which to rely on for contacts who make good assistants.

Here are some Bears assistants widely respected who would be worth the look, if coaches see a fit.

1. Jon Hoke, cornerbacks

Hoke also carries the title of defensive passing game coordinator.

Matt Eberflus has called Hoke the best cornerbacks coach in the league.

"Jon Hoke’s coached a bunch of great corners, all-pro corners and those guys all work together to really make up our secondary in terms of the coaching piece of it," former Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. "And the continuity piece of it. And the guys have done a great job there."

The Bears had a top 10 passer rating against all year and for a long period were No. 1, although it slipped to 12th as their losing streak progressed. Hoke was part of the reason they finished tied for first in interceptions in 2023 and this year rated high early before fading. 

He turns 68 this week so will he want to remain on staff?

They definitely could do worse than Hoke. Dennis Allen didn't coach with Hoke but has coached against him in the same division while Hoke was in Atlanta and Tampa Bay.

The drawback might be Hoke has been in a lot of heavy zone schemes and Allen has always used more press man-to-man coverage than the Bears have.

2. Chris Beatty, wide receivers

His previous relationship before Chicago with DJ Moore and also with Keenan Allen—although Allen might not return—is worth taking a look at. Johnson hasn't necessarily worked with a long list of wide receivers coaches who are available.

3. Andre Curtis, safeties

Eberflus also talked about Curtis like he talked about Hoke, saying, "...Andre Curtis is the best safeties coach in the league. He’s proven that. Being able to put guys in and plug guys here and develop guys."

Curtis has coached in the NFL since 2006 and was on the Saints staff from 2012-14. Dennis Allen, reported in-coming Bears defensive coordinator, was with the Saints for a long period. But Curtis' time in New Orleans was during that four-year window when Allen left the Saints as an assistant to become a coordinator in Denver and then head coach with the Raiders.

4. David Overstreet II, slot cornerbacks

Not every team has a coach specifically designated for slot cornerback and it's worthwhile if the staff is big enough. Eberflus had an overloaded staff last year. Overstreet was with Eberflus throughout his career, so that must be taken into account. However, the job he did with Kyler Gordon and with Josh Blackwell as a backup slot and even with Greg Stroman and Reddy Steward as backup slot cornerbacks has been noticed.

5. Chad Morton, running backs

His high-energy style was popular with players, although the production by the running game failed to reach the same level. Morton is very focused and has 15 years of NFL experience with Green Bay, Seattle and the Bears.

6. Eric Washington, defensive line

Washington was coordinator in Chicago. A team could do much worse than have him as a defensive line coach. His efforts with Carolina and Buffalo as a position coach always met with success. But he'd need to be willing to take a step back down to positional coaching. Allen has always had an emphasis on attacking defensive linemen like Washington was working with in Chicago and other stops.

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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.