Ten Bears head coaching candidates — including interim Thomas Brown
It's official: the Bears need a new head coach.
The franchise made that official Friday when it fired head coach Matt Eberflus — the first in-season canning in the history of the franchise, which was founded in 1920.
Bears chairman George McCaskey, president/CEO Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles will get a free look at Thomas Brown, whom they named the interim head coach Friday, for the final five weeks.
They figure to wait until the end of the season to begin interviewing permanent head coaching candidates. The Bears will undoubtedly prioritize an offensive mind to pair with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. Naming a play-caller the head coach assures that he can’t be poached by other teams. Still, there are coaches with other areas of expertise that could intrigue the Bears.
Here are 10 names to watch, in alphabetical order:
Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick
Merely one of the greatest coaches of all time, Belichick has the best resume of any NFL coach ever actively looking for a job. He’d bring respectability to a franchise desperate for it. But he’d also likely want power that many general managers are loathe to give up. One thing’s for sure — his obsession with NFL history would go over well inside the charter franchise.
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady
The 35-year-old made a name for himself as Joe Burrow’s play-caller on the 2020 LSU national championship team. First an interim play-caller with the Bills last year, Brady got the full-time job and has helped bring out the best in quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills rank third in the NFL with 29.1 points per game and Allen is a MVP candidate.
Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown
If the Brown-Williams pairing continues to impress during the last five weeks of the season, the Bears would be foolish to not interview Brown after promoting him to play-caller during the season. Brown, 38, has interviewed for NFL head coaching positions before and is a Sean McVay disciple. Bears players have praised his dynamic, straightforward style.
Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Cohen
The Bears interviewed the 39-year-old Cohen for the play-caller job that eventually went to Shane Waldron this offseason. In his first year with the Bucs, they rank fourth in the NFL with 28.1 points per game.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
The former Dolphins head coach has a reputation as being brusque, but there’s no denying his impact on a Vikings defense that’s turned into the most blitz-happy in football. Complicating matters: Flores was one game under .500 in three years with the Dolphins and later filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL that alleged discrimination.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
The 38-year-old will be the hottest assistant on the market, provided his 11-1 Lions keep winning and scoring the most points in the NFL. Johnson figures to be picky, the way he was the last two offseasons. In 2023, he turned down the Panthers despite being a favorite for the job. Last year he declined a second interview with the Commanders.
Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury
The Bears interviewed the 45-year-old for their offensive coordinator job last year. He has experience with Caleb Williams after serving as a USC assistant in 2023, and as a head coach. His Cardinals went 28-37-1 in four seasons, making the playoffs once. This season, he’s helped quarterback Jayden Daniels become the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson
The Bears talked the 38-year-old about their play-caller vacancy this offseason. In his first year in Atlanta, the Falcons rank 14th in rushing yards per game and fifth in passing yards per game. Like Brown and Cohen, he’s off the McVay tree.
Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik
One of the hottest names of the last coaching cycle interviewed for five different head coaching jobs last offseason but returned to the Texans — with mixed results. The 37-year-old mentored C.J. Stroud to the best rookie season in the history of NFL quarterbacks last season, something that should rightly intrigue the Bears.
Former Titans coach Mike Vrabel
After losing a power struggle with his own general manager, Vrabel has spent the past year season working as a consultant for his home-state Browns. He went 54-45 in six seasons with the Titans, making the playoffs three times, and figures to have his choice of jobs this offseason.