People are growing annoyed with the Chicago Bears coaching search. Most of it stems from how large it's becoming. They've now hit the 20-man threshold for interviews, which many around the league believe is way too many. It indicates the team has no sense of focus or direction. They are wandering in the wilderness, hoping to stumble onto their answer. Do GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren have any concept of what they're doing? A source updated SM on what's been happening behind the scenes.
Poles remains steadfast in his pursuit of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The two hit it off in their interview last week. Johnson is said to be comfortable working with the Bears GM and loves the idea of developing Caleb Williams. Warren, on the other hand, would prefer a head coach with experience. While he isn't set on hiring anybody specific, he is believed to be a massive fan of Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. That is why the Bears requested an interview. It's also why a huge portion of their candidate list is former head coaches.
Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren are gathering information.
If Johnson is their primary target, and this indicates he is, then they have nothing else to do but wait. The offensive coordinator is still in the playoffs with Detroit. As long as that remains the case, they won't be able to hire him. That leaves the Bears with two choices. They can either sit on their hands doing nothing or fill the time by meeting other coaches. It wouldn't just be about the head coaching job. They can also float the idea of prominent assistant jobs and gather data on how other successful organizations operate.
There is no such thing as too much data. The more the Bears learn, the more informed their decision will be. Presuming George McCaskey wasn't lying and Ryan Poles is leading the head coach search, it feels like Johnson is the guy. However, if the Bears miss out on him for whatever reason, Kevin Warren has made it where they will be prepared to pivot if necessary. More answers should arrive once the Bears move to their second round of interviews, which will include four to six finalists.
