The Chicago Bears need a new head coach and getting that hire correct has some serious stakes attached. Nail it and Caleb Wiliams may get to show the world just how great he can be at the NFL level—and the Bears could finally have their franchise quarterback after decades of turnover. Misfire and Williams and all that potential could be naught, especially considering how stacked the NFC North is right now and may continue to be for multiple years into the future.
And the Bears' front office seems to be doing a pretty thorough job, casting a wide net to potential candidates. All told, Chicago has reportedly requested interviews with 13 coaches. An optimist could conclude that surely things will click with one of those and Kevin Warren and Ryan Poles will come to a place where they feel really confident with their choice. Or a person could look at the lengthy list and wonder why it's so long with so much riding on the decision.
Colin Cowherd couldn't help but notice that potentially interviewing 13 different people may not be the most efficient use of time when time is of the essence and dove into his thoughts Tuesday.
"There's not this many great candidates, why are you wasting your time?" he asked. "Folks, this is not American Idol, I'm not here for the fun tryouts. What the hell are you doing? You're wasting time on second- and third-tier candidates, somebody else is hiring Mike Vrabel."
.@ColinCowherd calls Chicago Bears' reported interview requests an unserious list:
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 7, 2025
"Get to it, it's the prom. Either get to it or she's dancing with somebody else." pic.twitter.com/6RgZSzWFf0
"This is just too broad of a list," he continued. "It's unserious."
Cowherd said that Vrabel is the only great option out there right now but conceded that it might be worth getting Pete Carroll and Brian Flores on Zoom calls.
"When you're hiring a head coach, it's a little bit like house-hunting in a really competitive market," he said. "You don't have time to waste. If you qualify for a $5 million house, skip the fixer-uppers. Don't even stop off at the condos. Get to the big boy houses."
There is probably some good advice in there for NFL teams. There really is no point in spending time talking to a coach that deep down the organization doesn't think can win the job. But the interview is also the only place a candidate can change the previous perception of their qualifications. And in the case of Vrabel, the Bears are more the seller than the buyer. They are the ones trying to convince him that Williams can be a beautiful mansion with a little elbow grease and hard work.
At the end of the day the Bears will be judged only by the person they hire. All of this real-time reading of the tea leaves won't amount to anything. It is interesting, however, to consider that NFL franchises are open to more criticism than every before when it comes to finding a new leader. A list can be too long. It can be too short. It can be too unimaginative. To the point where a person would understand if a team just wanted to not anyone know their list at all.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Colin Cowherd Not Impressed With Bears' Long 'Unserious' List of Coaching Targets.
