Matt Nagy Gets No Love Among Coaches Players Want to Play For

Matt Nagy supposedly has a reputation for being a players coach. His ability to connect with his players and motivate them is well-documented. Several free agents they signed in 2018 admitted Nagy's presence was a reason they decided to join the Chicago Bears. Even after the struggles of 2019, almost everybody in the locker room defended Nagy against criticism. They stated without his presence that the season would've gone far worse than just 8-8.

That said, it would appear his reputation isn't quite as ringing around the league as some might think. Greg Auman of The Athletic was at the Pro Bowl last week and talked to several players, asking various questions from who the most underrated names in the league were to the best and worst NFL cities to travel to. Perhaps the most telling was when they were asked which head coach (besides their own) would they love to play for.

Of the 23 anonymous names who gave an answer, not a single one of them mentioned Nagy.

• Andy Reid, Chiefs (4)
• Pete Carroll, Seahawks (4)
• John Harbaugh, Ravens (2)
• Kyle Shanahan, 49ers (2)
• Mike Tomlin, Steelers (2)
• Mike Vrabel, Titans (2)
• Bill Belichick, Patriots
• Joe Judge, Giants
• Kliff Kingsbury, Cardinals
• Sean McVay, Rams
• Bill O’Brien, Texans
• Sean Payton, Saints
• Frank Reich, Colts

Now one can understand the top half of that list.

Carroll, Harbaugh, Tomlin, Payton, and Belichick have Super Bowl rings. Reid and Shanahan are in the Super Bowl. Vrabel reached the AFC championship, as has Sean McVay. Where it gets interesting is the fact that Kingsbury, Reich, and Judge all got votes instead of Nagy. One coach who had a losing record. One who didn't make the playoffs just like Nagy this year and one who hasn't even coached a game yet.

Matt Nagy is about to show who he really is

Head coaches often show who they are less after a winning season and more after a losing one. How do they handle failure? Do they start to press and lose sight of what made them a success or do they embrace change and work hard to get things turned around? This is the test that Nagy is about to take. He goes into 2020 with a lot of people starting to question whether he's truly up to the task of getting the Bears where they need to go. Was 2018 simply a fluke?

Many coaches in the past failed to meet that challenge, including a number of familiar names like Neill Armstrong, Dave Wannstedt, and Dick Jauron. One winning season is easy. Sustained success is what separates the good coaches. If Nagy wants to raise his star in NFL circles, he'll have to prove he can do that and he wasn't just a one-year wonder.