Sad News From Chicago Beras Today….
After spending the majority of the 2023 season without a true defensive coordinator, the Bears will look to fill the vacancy left by Alan Williams in 2024. Head coach Matt Eberflus did a bang up job taking over and calling defensive plays from Week 2 on, and there’s a good chance he calls plays again next year. They’ll still need someone to help organize the entire unit.
It might make most sense for the Bears to promote from within. That way the team can maintain as much continuity as possible, and whoever takes over the role will already have a great understanding of what Eberflus wants. If the team prefers to leave all their position coaches in place, he still has an option to consider.
Of course, the Bears could want some fresh opinions to add to the mix. If they go that route, they’ll have to cast a narrower net than on offense
since they need someone to work within the framework of their 4-3 scheme. That shouldn’t be too much of an obstacle, but that’s another list for another day.
Today, we’re looking at in-house staff members who could be on the Bears’ interview list for the DC opening.
Hawk is one of the most experienced coaches in the building.
His first job was as cornerbacks coach at Dayton in 1982.
He has played at the NFL level in various capacities since 2002, with the exception of a brief stint at South Carolina in 2015 and a stint at Maryland from 2019-2020.
Hawk oversaw Jaylon Johnson’s first All-Pro season and did a great job.
The development of Kyler Gordon, Tyrik Stevenson, and Terrell Smith.
Dave Borgonzi – Bears His Linebackers His Coach Eberflus is a linebacker guy, so it’s imperative that his linebackers do the job in the middle of the defense.
Borgonzi, Tremaine Edmunds and T.J.
Edwards were up to the task and played at a very high level in each season in 2023.
Borgonzi also has extensive experience working with his Eberflus.
Borgonzi served as Everflus’ linebackers coach in Indianapolis from 2018 to 2021.
The two also worked together in Dallas from 2011 to 2012, with Eberflus serving as linebackers coach and Borgonzi serving as a defensive assistant.
Andre Curtis – Bears Safeties Coach When the Bears offered Eddie Jackson a clean slate in 2022, it was Curtis who coached Jackson in tackling and pursuit.
With Curtis as his coach, Jackson eventually experienced a resurgence.
Curtis also helped Jaquan Brisker transition to the NFL and become an impact safety.
Curtis has a long history of success in the NFL, helping six players reach the Pro Bowl with Seattle: Kam Chancellor (2015), Richard Sherman (2015, 2016) ), Earl Thomas (2015, 2017), Shaquil Griffin (2019) ), Jamal Adams (2020), Quandre Diggs (2020, 2021).
Travis Smith – Bears Defensive Line Coach Smith is often credited with planning some of the more creative stunts and pressure plays the Bears have run on their defensive line.
He used Montez Sweat, Yannick Ngakoue, Justin Jones and DeMarcus Walker in various ways to help teams put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Like Eberflus, he also comes from the lineage of Rod Marinelli, with whom he spent 10 years with the Raiders.
Smith was involved in the development of many of the Raiders’ notable pass rushers, including Khalil Mack, Maxx Crosby, and Clelin Ferrell.
Phil Snow – Bears Senior Defensive Analyst Instead of hiring a new DC in 2023, the Bears have opted to bring on Snow to assist the team with preliminary scouting.
He researched the Bears’ opponents for the week ahead, studied trends and personnel, and provided reports to the defensive staff so they could immediately begin game planning for each new game week.
Prior to joining the Bears, Snow coached in the NCAA in his D-I level and above capacity since 1982.
These included defensive coordinator jobs with the Carolina Panthers, Washington Huskies, UCLA Bruins, Arizona State Sun Devils, Baylor Bears, Temple Owls, and Eastern Michigan Owls.
