Ryan Poles Makes Startling Admission About Hiring Ben Johnson

Getting the head coach right has been the Achilles heel of almost every Chicago Bears general manager since the position came to be in the 1970s. Jim Finks whiffed twice before George Halas went over his head to hire Mike Ditka. Rod Graves helped land Dave Wannstedt. Mark Hafley settled on Dick Jauron. The first one to actually get it right was Jerry Angelo when he hired Lovie Smith. Then the cycle started all over again. Phil Emery fired Smith in favor of Mark Trestman. Ryan Pace had two chances, going with John Fox and Matt Nagy. Then Ryan Poles took his first shot at Matt Eberflus, which was a disaster.

So you can understand why fans weren't thrilled about the idea of giving Poles another chance. They had no reason to believe he'd get it right. The GM understood the pressure on him. He spent months doing his research on dozens of candidates. It didn't take long to recognize Ben Johnson was the guy everybody wanted, and for good reasons. For the first time, Poles admitted something to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune about how that process unfolded. He wasn't entirely sold that Johnson was head coach material at first.

“It’s funny,” Poles told the Tribune. “When you scout players, you’re always asking, ‘Will you have to push this player or do you have to pull them back?’ And the narrative (on Johnson) made me feel like maybe he was going to have to be pushed.

“But the truth is he’s probably going to have to be pulled back more than anything, just because of the fire he does have and the competitive attitude he brings. It’s outstanding. And he’s a truth teller. That has been well-received by the entire building.”

Ryan Poles understood from the first meeting that Johnson was different.

Some coaches tell the truth, and coaches who have a fiery, competitive temperament. It is rare for one to be both of those things. Johnson is anything but cloak and dagger. He tells players what they need to hear, even if it makes them uncomfortable. In his mind, that is the only way they will get better. This was something Ryan Poles hinted that Eberflus always struggled with: accountability. Some coaches seem afraid to actually coach guys, perhaps being intimidated by somebody's star status. Whatever the case, Thomas Brown mentioned the same issue last season after he took over as interim head coach. Johnson does not have that problem. Caleb Williams, DJ Moore, and others quickly discovered they won't get any royal treatment. If they want praise, it will be earned. Otherwise, expect plenty of cold glares and firm corrections.