Tracking the candidates in the Bears’ wide-ranging head-coaching search:
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
Status: The Bears interviewed him virtually Jan. 11.
Background: Johnson is the hottest assistant coach candidate in the league after helping to turn the Lions into a juggernaut. The Lions have finished in the top five in the NFL in points and yards in each of the first full seasons he’s been their play-caller. Johnson said last month he was more prepared to jump to a head coaching job than he was in recent years, when he backed out of interviews in order to stay in Detroit. Johnson is intrigued by quarterback Caleb Williams — and the feeling is mutual.
Former Titans coach Mike Vrabel
Status: The Bears interviewed Vrabel on Jan. 8.
Background: Vrabel went 54-45 in six seasons with the Titans, going to five playoff games before being fired at the end of the 2023 season in a power struggle with his general manager. Vrabel played for the Chiefs when Bears general manager Ryan Poles was a low-level front office employee there. Vrabel is widely considered the favorite for the Patriots’ opening.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
Status: The Bears interviewed him Jan. 11.
Background: Glenn was a NFL cornerback from 1994-2008 before becoming a personnel scout with the Jets from 2012-13 and a defensive backs coach for the Browns and Saints from 20014-20. He’s been the Lions’ defensive coordinator since 2021 and is beloved for his fiery personality. Glenn praised Williams last month, calling him “very resilient” and saying he was unfairly criticized.
“[Quarterbacks] get beat down so much that people really don’t see the things they go through to be a top player — especially a No. 1 pick,” he said.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy
Status: The Bears requested an interview, but were rebuffed by the Cowboys. His contract expires Jan. 14.
Backgound: McCarthy won Super Bowl XLV as the Packers head coach and is the third-winningest active head coach in the NFL. He’s spent the past five seasons as the Cowboys’ head coach but his future is very much still up in the air. His combination of play-calling and head coaching experience would appeal to the Bears.
Former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll
Status: The Bears interviewed him Jan. 9.
Background: Carroll is one of the most accomplished football coaches walking the planet, having reached the playoffs in 10 of 13 seasons with the Seahawks. He’s one of three head coaches ever to win a NCAA national championship and a Super Bowl — alongside Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson. He has a 170-120 record all-time as an NFL head coach.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
Status: The Bears can interview him virtually after the first round of the playoffs.
Background: Flores has turned the Vikings’ blitzing defense into one of the most-feared in the NFL and is eager to return to head coaching. He went 24-25 in four years as the Dolphins head coach but publicly feuded with young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a fact that could give the Bears pause and they seek someone to pair with Williams. Flores went to Boston College with Poles and shares mutual Vikings acquaintances with Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren, who used to work in Minnesota.
Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury
Status: The Bears can interview him virtually after the first round of the playoffs.
Background: He and Jayden Daniels have been a match made in heaven this year, with Kingsbury designing an offense to fit the quarterback’s skillset and propel him toward Offensive Rookie of the Year. He has head coaching experience, too, going 28-37-1 in four seasons with the Cardinals. Kingsbury spent 2023 as a USC assistant and helped prepare Williams for the NFL. Williams has praised him when given the chance this season.
Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver
Status: The Bears interviewed him virtually Jan. 9.
Background: Weaver was the Ravens’ defensive line coach and assistant head coach for two years before moving to Miami to call the Dolphins’ defense in 2024. He’s considered an up-and-coming coach, but the Dolphins’ results were barely better than that of the Bears. They gave up 21.4 points per game, the Bears 21.8. Weaver interviewed with the Saints on Wednesday.
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady
Status: The Bears can interview him virtually after the first round of the playoffs.
Background: At just 35, Brady has regained wunderkind status in leading quarterback Josh Allen to MVP conversation and the Bills to the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. Brady called the greatest college passing offense of all-time at LSU in 2019, with Joe Burrow under center, before flopping with the Panthers. Allen and Burrow would provide great templates for Williams. Brady interviewed for the Bears’ quarterbacks coach job when Matt Eberflus was hired but went to Buffalo instead.
Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown
Status: The Bears have said they will interview Brown.
Background: Brown held three different jobs for the Bears this season, starting as the pass-game coordinator — and occasional scout-team nickel cornerback during practice — before being promoted to offensive coordinator and then interim head coach. Williams improved after Brown took over for Shane Waldron but took a step back once Brown assumed head-coaching responsibilities. The Bears went 1-4 with Brown in charge, beating the rival Packers, losing to the Seahawks by three and playing three games that weren’t particularly competitive. Brown was the Panthers’ offensive coordinator for part of 2023 but has less than a year’s worth of NFL play caller experience between last season and this. The Seahawks plan to interview him for their vacant offensive coordinator job.
Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka
Status: The Bears interviewed him Jan. 9.
Background: Kafka is a St. Rita and Northwestern alum who served as Patrick Mahomes’ quarterbacks coach in five seasons with the Chiefs. (He was replaced by Matt Nagy). Kafka worked with Poles in Kansas City but is not considered likely to get the job.
Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing
Status: The Bears interviewed him Jan. 8.
Background: In his first year as the Cardinals’ play-caller, Petzing led the Cardinals to 23.6 points per game, which ranked 12th in the NFL. The 37-year-old worked for the Vikings while Warren was there. Like Kafka, he’s a longshot candidate.
Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith
Status: The Bears can interview him virtually after the first round of the playoffs.
Background: Smith helped to develop a decent Steelers offense — they finished 16th in scoring this season — with Justin Fields and then Russell Wilson under center. He went 21-30 in three seasons as the Falcons’ head coach after spending two seasons as Vrabel’s offensive coordinator. He’s never been given a blue-chip quarterback and it’s worth wondering what his plan for Williams would look like.
Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken
Status: The Bears can interview him virtually after the first round of the playoffs.
Background: Monken just finished his second season as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator, where he finished third in the league in scoring, first in rushing yards and seventh in passing yards. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is among the favorites to win MVP. He was the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator from 2016-18 and the Browns’ in 2019. He won two national championships at Georgia before joining the Ravens in 2023. Monken is from Wheaton.
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell
Status: The Bears can interview him any time.
Background: A league source confirmed the Bears’ interest in Campbell on Wednesday. Campbell is quietly one of the most successful college coaches, going 35-15 at Toledo from 2011-15 and 64-51 in nine years ago Iowa State. The Cyclones went 11-3 and beat Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl this year. He’s flirted with the NFL before and was actually a favorite to get the Lions job that went to Dan Campbell (no relation). Poles said Tuesday their candidate list would include a surprise or two, and Campbell qualifies. Still, he’d have to convince the Bears he was worthy of making the jump from college to the pros, something that historically has proven difficult. Also: would the Bears really hire someone fresh off the Pop Tarts Bowl?
Former Stanford coach David Shaw
Status: The Bears can interview him any time.
Background: Shaw resigned as the head coach at his alma mater in 2022 after 12 years. At 96-54, he was the most successful coach in Stanford history. He helped to develop Andrew Luck into one of the most promising quarterback prospects of his generation. Shaw was named a Broncos senior personnel executive in June, rejoining the NFL for the first time since he was the Ravens’ receivers coach in 2005. Shaw is a longshot candidate.
Former Panthers, Commanders coach Ron Rivera
Status: The Bears are expected to interview him Sunday.
Background: Rivera played for the Bears from 1984-92, winning Super Bowl XX, was a Bears assistant from 1997-98 and the team’s defensive coordinator from 2004-06. Rivera, who turned 63 earlier this week, is 102-103-2 as an NFL head coach. He was named Coach of the Year twice, including in 2015 when the Panthers went 15-1 and quarterback Cam Newton won the MVP. The Panthers lost Super Bowl 50 to the Broncos. He went 13 games over .500 with the Panthers from 2011-19 and 14 games under .500 with the Commanders from 2020-23. He hasn’t posted a winning season since 2017.