Three games remain in the Chicago Bears' season but given that the team's currrent eight-game losing streak derailed their hopes of reaching the playoffs, the focus has turned to the search for a new head coach.
For the first time in the history of the organization, the Bears are starting the process in-season given that Matt Eberflus was fired following the team's loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. While interim head coach Thomas Brown was initially expected to be a strong candidate for the opening, it seems that the hire will be for someone currently outside of the organization.
Among the initial groundwork that the Bears are laying for head coach candidates, team president Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles are presenting a unified front. There has been speculation that the dynamic between Poles and Warren may scare off top candidates but all signs from Halas Hall point to the leadership structure being aligned.
In his latest reporting for ESPN, Jeremy Fowler reports there is a growing expectation that Washington Commanders' offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will receive an interview from the Bears.
"People I've talked to around the league fully expect the Bears to interview Kliff Kingsbury for the head coach job because of his combination of experience, quarterback cachet, and previous work with Caleb Williams," Fowler reports.
Even though Kingsbury was passed over by the Bears last January during their search for an offensive coordinator, he has been a looming presence over the team's season. The work that Kingsbury has done with Commanders' rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has led many to question the interview process that the Bears had last season.
Kingsbury's candidacy for the Bears' head coach opening season isn't as easy as connecting him to working with Williams during the quarterback's final season with the USC Trojans. It's worth noting that Williams' final season with USC, when Kingsbury was working as the school's quarterbacks coach. wasn't nearly as strong as the season before. In addition, when he was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, it was clear that Kingsbury lost control during his final season with the team.
Sure, the Bears will interview Kingsbury but the idea of him being a frontrunner due to his connection with Williams may be a reach.