Examining our top candidates for next Bears head coach

The Chicago Bears are in the middle of their search for a new head coach after firing Matt Nagy.

Chairman George McCaskey, President/CEO Ted Phillips, Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian, VP of Player Engagement Lamar ‘Soup’ Campbell and Senior VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Tanesha Wade will be conducting the head coach search for the Bears.

They’ve cast a wide net of diverse candidates for the job, which includes some pretty intriguing names with some impressive resumes.

Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their top three candidates for Chicago’s next head coach and why they would be a good fit:

Alyssa Barbieri

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Harbaugh: I think we can all agree that this is a pipe dream at this point, but Harbaugh would be my top choice for the next Bears head coach. He checks all of the boxes I’m looking for in a coach – proven success at the NFL level, experience developing a quarterback like Justin Fields and he’s the kind of tough-nosed coach that’s going to hold his players accountable. It doesn’t hurt that he has a connection to the Bears and knows what it means to play quarterback in Chicago.

Brian Daboll: It’s near impossible to watch the Bills offense over the last two weeks and not wonder what Fields could look like in a well-schemed offense that put up a combined 83 points in two games. While Josh Allen is a superstar, there was a time when he was just a struggling rookie. Daboll was instrumental in his development, which three years later led to one of the best NFL games of all-time, courtesy of Allen. Daboll has extensive experience as an offensive coordinator, and he’s worked with the likes of Bill Belichick and Nick Saban – the best to coach at their respective levels.

Brian Flores: If I can’t have Harbaugh, Flores would be a nice consolation prize. The moment Flores hit the open market, he became a top coaching candidate, and he could be exactly what this Bears team needs. Flores found success with a weak Dolphins roster and is someone who’s going to hold his players accountable. He’s a leader of men type Chicago us looking for. Although the one thing that has left many wary is Flores’ ability to land an offensive coordinator that’s going to help develop Fields. You have to figure if Flores presents a solid plan for how to do that, he could land the job.

Brendan Sugrue

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Brian Daboll: The Buffalo Bills coordinator was already a favorite of mine even before last weekend’s onslaught against the New England Patriots. That was just the icing on top of the cake. Daboll is Bruce Arians 2.0 in my opinion. He’s someone who has spent many years in the league as an assistant coach in many different roles, despite just being 46 years old. But he’s learned under some of the best coaches like Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, and Tony Sparano, while improving throughout his career.

Now, he’s the mastermind behind the Bills’ top-five offense and has helped turn Josh Allen into an elite quarterback. Even when his unit has stalled and struggled, Daboll made key in-season adjustments that kept things moving. If he can somehow bring quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey, Daboll could do wonders with Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears. He’s my current top choice for the job.

Jim Caldwell: I’ve long believed Caldwell is far better as a coach than people think. He was the offensive coordinator during the Peyton Manning heyday, took the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl his first season in 2009, and followed it up with another division title. Then, he turned the Detroit Lions into a playoff contender, very nearly winning a playoff game during his first season. He has a career record of 62-50, including his 2-14 season in 2011 with the Colts when Manning missed the season due to a neck injury.

Caldwell isn’t the sexiest name, but he’s gotten results wherever he’s gone. Let’s not forget he was the quarterback coach for the Baltimore Ravens in 2012 in between head coaching stints when Joe Flacco set the world on fire during the team’s Super Bowl run. Players speak very highly of him and the man knows offense. I would bet the Bears improve significantly under him. Hey, if he can get the Lions to the playoffs two times in three years, he might actually get the Bears to a Super Bowl.

Todd Bowles: Sometimes former failed New York Jets coaches can have success elsewhere. See Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick for more information. Bowles is someone I’ve warmed up to over the last year after seeing his defenses neutralize the league’s best offenses en route to a Super Bowl run in 2020. He of course can design an elite defense, but he’s still widely respected around the league as a leader of men, and though he didn’t have much success in New York, that wasn’t all on him.

Bowles was cooking with an empty cupboard for much of his time as Jets head coach. His first season, he finished 10-6 and narrowly missed the postseason. Things bottomed out from there, but he had very few stars on his team, particularly at the quarterback position. Bowles likely learned a lot in his first go around and I’m willing to bet that his second stint as a head coach will be vastly improved. And don’t forget, it’s not like the Jets have been any better since he left. They still haven’t eclipsed the .500 mark since his first season.

Ryan Fedrau

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Harbaugh: Jim Harbaugh has been my top pick to replace Matt Nagy since 2019. I was off the Nagy train early and was on the Harbaugh train, even when he struggled at Michigan. Some experts and fans have made good points, saying the NFL has changed since Harbaugh last coached. Still, the success he had with Alex Smith and then Colin Kaepernick is unmatched. I would love to see what he could do with Justin Fields.

Brian Flores: Brian Flores isn’t my top choice, but he has the same qualities as Jim Harbaugh. I question why he was fired in the first place. He might have wore out his welcome in Miami, but a few playoff wins and maybe a Super Bowl would make Flores a legend at Halas Hall, and in the city of Chicago. As long as Flores has the right connections to find the right offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for Justin Fields, I’m in. I like the passion he has. As long as he is fair to his players and coaches with heart, I’m all in on Brian Flores .

Sean Payton: The rumors are farfetched, but Sean Payton as the Bears next head coach is still yet to be closed. That door is still ajar open, even though it won’t happen. If it somehow did though, Payton would be an amazing coach for Justin Fields. I’m not his biggest fan, but it’s hard to deny the success he found with the Saints since taking over in the mid-2000s. Payton is another former Bear on this list. Why not return to your old stomping grounds and be the savior Chicago has been waiting for since Mike Ditka?

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