Shane Waldron: 2024 Bears Head Coach Scouting Report

For the briefest of moments, it looked like Matt Eberflus might save his job after a resounding win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football. Sadly, his Chicago Bears crashed back to earth with a dispiriting 19-13 loss to Minnesota. It was a game marked again by him and his staff failing to prepare the players. That has become an all-too-common theme for the Bears since he took over last season. Eberflus is now 4-19, by far the worst record a head coach has had for this franchise. It feels almost inevitable that he will be fired after the season. Potential replacements are likely being researched, and Shane Waldron has to be on that list.

The Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator continues to have success through his third season. While other names might be getting more attention, it feels like there are few more deserving of an opportunity. So let's get to know the man.

Shane Waldron background:

A native of Portland, Oregon, Waldron walked the typical path of a future coach. He played football in high school and college. However, he wasn't talented enough to reach the NFL. So, he shifted to coaching. It became clear he had the intelligence and work ethic for the job. After a brief stint in scouting, he shifted to coaching as a graduate assistant for Notre Dame. From there, he bounced between the NFL and college from 2008 through 2015, jumping back to the pros, where he has been ever since. During his time on the road, he's coached almost every offensive position group, from tight ends to the offensive line. The fact he graduated from Tufts University, a school renowned for producing future Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, proves he's intelligent and able to communicate.

Good points:

If you're looking for somebody who has been groomed for the job by some of the best, you won't find anybody better than Waldron. He got his start in the NFL with the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick, where he won two Super Bowls as a low-level assistant. He quickly climbed the ladder there and took a successful stint at Massachusetts before catching the attention of a young offensive coordinator named Sean McVay in 2016. The two headed to Los Angeles the following year, where they forged the Rams into a contender.

After three seasons as passing game coordinator, Waldron was lured north by the Seattle Seahawks as their new offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll. Under his watch, the offense has become a top-10 unit. Even more impressive is that he's done it with Geno Smith as his quarterback. Under Waldron's guidance, the former draft bust-turned-journeyman was transformed into a Pro Bowler last season. That and tutelage from maybe three future Hall of Fame head coaches make his candidacy a strong one.

Concerns:

It's worth noting Shane Waldron has been passed up for several years during each head coaching cycle in favor of other assistant coaches on the same staff. Zac Taylor, the Rams' quarterback coach, got the Cincinnati Bengals job. Kevin O'Connell got the Minnesota job after only one year as offensive coordinator in 2020. It leaves one to wonder if there is something about Waldron we aren't hearing. It isn't age. He's 44. He will have three years of coordinating experience when 2023 concludes. Maybe they feel he's been riding the coattails of McVay and Carroll. There are no reported off-the-field concerns. It could be he isn't "sexy" enough compared to other candidates.