Updated: What we know about the front office, coaching staff the Bears are building

The Bears have their new coach and GM. Their new Matt and Ryan.

The team made it official last week, hiring head coach Matt Eberflus to replace Matt Nagy. The move came only days after new general manager Ryan Poles replaced Ryan Pace.

Eberflus showed up to work ready to assemble a new staff. It takes a village to run an NFL team. The GM and the head coach are the most important positions, but they will need help along the way.

[ 5 things we learned from Ryan Poles, Matt Eberflus on Monday ]

The Bears have already hired Packers quarterback coach Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator and Alan Williams as defensive coordinator. The team is still in need of a special teams coordinator, plus numerous position coaches.

Several former assistant coaches under Nagy have been erased from the team’s official website. That includes defensive coordinator Sean Desai, senior defensive assistant Mike Pettine, quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, running backs coach Michael Pitre, wide receivers coach Mike Furrey, offensive line coach Juan Castillo, tight ends coach Clancy Barone, inside linebackers coach Bill McGovern and outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey.

Defensive line coach Chris Rumph and secondary coach Deshea Townsend remain on the team’s official list of coaches as of Wednesday morning.

Below is what is known so far about the Bears’ interests at each position, and who might be interviewing for the job.

Offense

The Bears have hired Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator. The team made the move official last weekend. Getsy was the quarterbacks coach of the Green Bay Packers.

Getsy has worked in Green Bay since 2014, except for a one-year stint as the offensive coordinator at Mississippi State in 2018. He has never called plays in the NFL. As the QB coach since 2019, he has worked closely with Packers quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love.

[ Bears hire Packers QB coach Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator ]

The Bears hired Chris Morgan as offensive line coach, the team announced Wednesday. Morgan had been the Steelers’ assistant offensive line coach for one season. Prior to that, he was the offensive line coach for the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-20 under head coach Dan Quinn.

[ Bears hire Chris Morgan as OL coach ]

The Bears are expected to hire Tyke Tolbert as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, according to the NFL Network. Tolbert, 54, is the New York Giants’ wide receivers coach and has been since 2018. He has been an NFL wide receivers coach since 2003 with the Cardinals (2003), Bills (2004-09), Panthers (2010), Broncos (2011-17) and Giants. He played college football at LSU.

The Bears hired Andrew Janocko as quarterbacks coach. The 33-year-old served in the same role for the Minnesota Vikings last season and has been in Minnesota in various roles since 2015.

[ Bears hire 3 more assistant coaches, including Andrew Janocko as QBs coach ]

The Bears were reportedly set to interview former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady, according to Sports Illustrated. Brady, however, is now expected to become the Buffalo Bills’ quarterbacks coach, according to the NFL Network.

Texans passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton interviewed for the Bears’ offensive coordinator position, according to multiple reports. He could potentially be a target for quarterbacks coach, too, but he is reportedly a finalist for the Giants’ offensive coordinator job. Hamilton was Justin Herbert’s QB coach with the Chargers in 2020 and then helped Houston rookie Davis Mills along last season. Hamilton served as Bears quarterback coach from 2007-09 under head coach Lovie Smith.

Eagles passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo is a name to watch, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Patullo worked with Eberflus in Indianapolis for three seasons as the wide receivers coach (2018-19) and pass game specialist (2020), before moving to Philadelphia with Nick Sirianni. He was previously a quarterback coach with the Jets (2015-16), among other stops.

Defense

The Bears have hired Alan Williams as their defensive coordinator, the team announced Wednesday. Williams has worked with Eberflus since 2018 in Indianapolis. Prior to that, he was the safeties coach under Jim Caldwell in Detroit from 2014-17. He served as Vikings defensive coordinator from 2012-13 under Leslie Frazier. Williams worked in Indianapolis for a decade under Tony Dungy and Caldwell from 2002-11.

[ Bears hire Colts safeties coach Alan Williams as defensive coordinator ]

The Bears have hired Dave Borgonzi as linebackers coach. Borgonzi was formerly the Colts’ linebackers coach under Eberflus, and had been in that position since 2018. He has worked closely with All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard. Borgonzi has coached in the NFL since 2011.

[ Bears hire Dave Borgonzi as LB coach ]

Colts cornerbacks coach James Rowe is on board to join Eberflus’ staff as defensive backs coach. Rowe was in Indianapolis for only one season. In 2020, he coached cornerbacks at Appalachian State. Prior to that, he was an assistant defensive backs coach for the Washington Commanders (2017-19). He was a college coach from 2011-16 at Jacksonville, Florida and Valdosta State.

David Overstreet II will serve as Rowe’s assistant defensive backs coach. Overstreet coached in Indianapolis for the past four seasons, first as defensive quality control coach (2018-20) before receiving a promotion last season.

Former Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli worked with Eberflus for several years in Dallas. Marinelli was the Bears’ defensive coordinator from 2010-12, and later took the same position with the Cowboys from 2014-19. Eberflus was the Cowboys linebackers coach from 2011-17. Marinelli is currently the Raiders’ defensive line coach.

In a radio interview at 670 The Score, Marinelli didn’t rule out a return to the Bears, he simply reiterated that he’s currently employed by the Raiders. The Raiders hired Josh McDaniels as their head coach this week.

Special teams

Bears special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, who held the role since 2018, is now in the same position for the Carolina Panthers.

Eberflus worked with longtime special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia for five years in Dallas (2013-17). Bisaccia was the special teams coordinator in Dallas, while Eberflus was the linebackers coach. Bisaccia took the same position with the Raiders in 2018. The Raiders elevated him to interim head coach last season when they fired Jon Gruden. Bisaccia has been an NFL special teams coordinator since 2002, but could be looking for a new job now that the Raiders hired Josh McDaniels as head coach.

Bisaccia is still listed as the special teams coordinator on the Raiders’ website, but he has reportedly interviewed for the head coaching job in Jacksonville. If a head coaching opportunity doesn’t present itself, he could be a fit for special teams coordinator in Chicago.

Front office

The Bears hired Eagles director of player personnel Ian Cunningham as assistant general manager over the weekend.

Cunningham has 14 years of NFL front office experience, the last five with the Eagles. In his current role, which he has held for one season, he oversees the college scouting department and also helps on the pro scouting side. Prior to the Eagles, Cunningham spent nine years in the Ravens’ scouting department. He played college football at Virginia as an offensive lineman and briefly signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs in 2008.

Ryan Pace’s former No. 2, Josh Lucas, is no longer employed by the team, according to its official website. Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly, meanwhile, is set to become the Las Vegas Raiders’ assistant general manager, according to a report from ESPN.