The Chicago Bears bucked a franchise trend this past week when they fired their head coach mid-season. After he posted a 12-32 record since being hired in 2022, Matt Eberflus was relieved of his duties thanks to a lack of development and a 6-game losing streak after starting the 2024 season 4-2. They’ll have a head start on the search for their next leader, and it appears that there are already some front-running candidates.
Bears Coaching Search Will Include Kliff Kingsbury
Whoever takes over the head job for the Bears, they will be gifted with a young quarterback with plenty of upside. It was just months ago when Caleb Williams was considered to be a can’t-miss draft prospect when Chicago drafted him first overall, and he’s shown flashes of brilliance while enduring the typical ups and downs of his rookie season.
There is a head coaching candidate who already has familiarity with Williams. Kliff Kingsbury is currently the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, but spent the 2023 college football season as an offensive analyst for the USC Trojans. Williams was already established as an elite talent prior to his arrival, but had 30 touchdowns and 3,633 passing yards in his junior season under Kingsbury.
From @NFLGameDay: The #Bears now have a coveted opening, and expect a wide-ranging search. They’ll consider all the top candidates, including #Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury — whose ties to Caleb Williams are obvious. Plus, #Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown is expected back soon. pic.twitter.com/tYqxwUkjvf
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 1, 2024
According to Ian Rapoport, Kingsbury will be an “interesting name to watch” for the Bears in their coaching search. He cited the previous connection between the coach and quarterback, as well as Kingsbury’s success as the Commanders’ coordinator.
The Bears wouldn’t be Kingsbury’s first head coaching job. He had the role with the Arizona Cardinals for four seasons between 2019 and 2022, and posted a record of 28-37. Their best season during his tenure was 2021 when the Cardinals posted an 11-6 record and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 6 years.
Rapoport mentioned other names that could be a part of the coaching search for the Bears. Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel were amongst them, and he added that the job would be a coveted one this coming off-season.
