Ranking the Chicago Bears head coaching candidates being interviewed

As I start writing this, the head coaching candidate list remains at nine. The team has interviewed only one head coach at this point and that was former Super Bowl champion, Doug Pederson. Three general manager candidates have been interviewed as well. The process is going to take a little bit of time, but not too long. When Ryan Pace was hired in 2015, it took the team 10 days to decide on Ryan Pace. It took another eight days for the Bears to then hire John Fox as head coach.

If we assume that the timeline will be somewhat similar, then we can expect the decision on a new general manager to be made towards the end of next week, while the new head coach should be decided on by the end of the month.

The Chicago Bears need to hire the “right” coach this time

When I look at a head coaching candidate, there are a few key traits that I need to see. First, the candidate should have a proven track record. Second, the candidate needs to have a certain amount or type of experience. This is one reason why I’d be hesitant to hire Kellen Moore. That said, if his interview went well enough, he might be able to convince me. Although, it doesn’t matter since Moore hasn’t been requested for an interview by the Bears.

Wins and losses aren’t the be-all-end-all, but context needs to be considered as well when we look at the candidates. For example, if a coach takes over a team that is in shambles and that team finishes with say only three wins in the first season, the team then builds that up to six wins the next and finally a winning season in the third season, then we can’t just look at his overall record. See what I mean?

While interviewing these candidates, George McCaskey, Bill Polian, and whoever the new general manager is, will need to determine what the head coach plans to do with the offense and Justin Fields. This is extremely important. Also during these interviews, it will be key to determine certain attributes such as leadership qualities and the ability to articulate with football intelligence. Vetting them through others (former players and assistant coaches) is important too.

While going through the current list of candidates, this is the reverse order of how I want them to be hired by the Chicago Bears.