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http://http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-bears-likely-coaching-direction-haugh-20171230-story.html
By David Haugh / Chicago Tribune
On the day the Bears introduced coach John Fox in January 2015, he scoffed at a question about his age.
“I’m very healthy, I’m very energetic, I stay away from mirrors,’’ Fox joked. “I have great passion for what I do. I truly feel like I did at 36.’’
Three years and 33 losses later, Fox probably feels every bit of 62. The strain of the job makes Fox often sound as tired as he appears. The beard Fox sported intermittently this season only added to his weathered look. Halas Hall exacts its toll on the most energetic of men, what with missing the playoffs 10 of the last 11 seasons casting a pall over the place, and Fox likely will depart Monday after the Bears are expected to fire him perhaps feeling a sense of relief amid so much disappointment. Soon the Bears will be someone else’s problem, and Fox will go down in team annals as a good idea gone bad.
Fox will leave the Bears in better shape than he found them, barely, and only because oblivious predecessor Marc Trestman ruled with a velvet glove. The Bears had devolved into a dysfunctional mess under Trestman’s so-called leadership, a team readier for a reality-TV show than the Super Bowl. By showing players a side of him Chicago seldom saw, Fox restored the Bears locker room with structure and respect. He created a camaraderie speaking the language of football that he mastered much better than the obfuscating nonsense that came out of his mouth every day at the podium.
If Fox had connected as well with the public as he did his team, perhaps the embattled coach would have encountered more support in his final weeks than the apathetic acceptance of his fate. Instead, nary a soul outside of loyal players dared to speak out in defense of Fox as his days in Lake Forest dwindled.
History will remember Fox as the latest fall guy in the post-Lovie Smith era, an overly conservative coach who lost 70 percent of his games, a leader easier to follow Monday through Saturday than on Sundays, an interloper who collected big checks from the Bears but produced little in the way of results. It would be fitting if Fox could throw a proverbial red flag to challenge such an unflattering description of his Bears tenure. Alas, he would lose that one too.
But, as general manager Ryan Pace prepares for his first independent coaching search, it feels wrong to suggest Fox was the only thing holding the Bears back. Fox’s likely dismissal speaks to a collective failure more than an individual one.
The Bears organization decided to reinvest time, money and hope in Jay Cutler not once but twice — before the 2015 and 2016 seasons — rather than go young at quarterback sooner. The organization replaced whiz-kid offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who left after one season to coach the Dolphins, with the overmatched Dowell Loggains, Fox’s most costly miscalculation. The organization counted on too many players with iffy injury histories, most notably overpriced outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and gimpy wide receiver Kevin White as Alshon Jeffery’s replacement. The organization let Chicago down, not just the coach with the raspy voice and condescending tone.
Pace keeping his job would say more about Chairman George McCaskey’s desire to establish continuity in the front office than Pace’s spotty record as general manager. The Bears tipped their hand last month in announcing a major expansion project that emphasized the input of Pace but not Fox, whose complaints about facilities occasionally rankled management. The schedule calls for the renovation to finish in 2019, about the time the Bears hope quarterback Mitch Trubisky develops into a dependable starter. Drafting Trubisky No. 2 overall essentially increased Pace’s job security or he might be packing up his office too.
If McCaskey abruptly changed his mind and decided at the 11th hour Monday to fire his third GM in seven seasons along with his third coach, he could justify it. Poor talent on Pace’s roster contributed to the 33 losses that cost Fox his job as much as poor coaching. Bears drafts under Pace have been solid but not spectacular, the strongest being the 2017 class that included Trubisky, but too many free-agent misses like wide receiver Markus Wheaton raise legitimate questions — the most troubling what Pace saw in quarterback Mike Glennon to guarantee him $18.5 million. Anybody else wonder what 94-year-old Virginia McCaskey thinks of wasting that much money?
Changing coaches won’t change everything with the Bears, whose issues remain systemic. Pace would benefit from having a boss who actually has built an NFL winner before, but the Bears lack the audacity to add such a layer to management or nudge President Ted Phillips aside. So anticipate Pace emerging from his bunker as early as Monday, using a voice we hear too infrequently, and articulating what he seeks in Fox’s replacement. Say what you will about the Bears’ need to hire a young, offensive-minded assistant, the 2018 version of Rams coach Sean McVay, but Pace must keep his mind open to doing more than just copying leaguewide trends. Find the best coach, period.
The market likely will include at least one experienced NFL head coach worth Pace’s time and interest, ideally quarterback-friendly Bill O’Brien of the Texans. The Bears’ short list of candidates should start with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, perhaps the hottest coordinator, and include Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, Chiefs special-teams coordinator Dave Toub, Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich.
The next step depends on the direction of Pace, ready or not. It feels as if there is only one way to go for the Bears. And the feeling is all too familiar.
By David Haugh / Chicago Tribune
On the day the Bears introduced coach John Fox in January 2015, he scoffed at a question about his age.
“I’m very healthy, I’m very energetic, I stay away from mirrors,’’ Fox joked. “I have great passion for what I do. I truly feel like I did at 36.’’
Three years and 33 losses later, Fox probably feels every bit of 62. The strain of the job makes Fox often sound as tired as he appears. The beard Fox sported intermittently this season only added to his weathered look. Halas Hall exacts its toll on the most energetic of men, what with missing the playoffs 10 of the last 11 seasons casting a pall over the place, and Fox likely will depart Monday after the Bears are expected to fire him perhaps feeling a sense of relief amid so much disappointment. Soon the Bears will be someone else’s problem, and Fox will go down in team annals as a good idea gone bad.
Fox will leave the Bears in better shape than he found them, barely, and only because oblivious predecessor Marc Trestman ruled with a velvet glove. The Bears had devolved into a dysfunctional mess under Trestman’s so-called leadership, a team readier for a reality-TV show than the Super Bowl. By showing players a side of him Chicago seldom saw, Fox restored the Bears locker room with structure and respect. He created a camaraderie speaking the language of football that he mastered much better than the obfuscating nonsense that came out of his mouth every day at the podium.
If Fox had connected as well with the public as he did his team, perhaps the embattled coach would have encountered more support in his final weeks than the apathetic acceptance of his fate. Instead, nary a soul outside of loyal players dared to speak out in defense of Fox as his days in Lake Forest dwindled.
History will remember Fox as the latest fall guy in the post-Lovie Smith era, an overly conservative coach who lost 70 percent of his games, a leader easier to follow Monday through Saturday than on Sundays, an interloper who collected big checks from the Bears but produced little in the way of results. It would be fitting if Fox could throw a proverbial red flag to challenge such an unflattering description of his Bears tenure. Alas, he would lose that one too.
But, as general manager Ryan Pace prepares for his first independent coaching search, it feels wrong to suggest Fox was the only thing holding the Bears back. Fox’s likely dismissal speaks to a collective failure more than an individual one.
The Bears organization decided to reinvest time, money and hope in Jay Cutler not once but twice — before the 2015 and 2016 seasons — rather than go young at quarterback sooner. The organization replaced whiz-kid offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who left after one season to coach the Dolphins, with the overmatched Dowell Loggains, Fox’s most costly miscalculation. The organization counted on too many players with iffy injury histories, most notably overpriced outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and gimpy wide receiver Kevin White as Alshon Jeffery’s replacement. The organization let Chicago down, not just the coach with the raspy voice and condescending tone.
Pace keeping his job would say more about Chairman George McCaskey’s desire to establish continuity in the front office than Pace’s spotty record as general manager. The Bears tipped their hand last month in announcing a major expansion project that emphasized the input of Pace but not Fox, whose complaints about facilities occasionally rankled management. The schedule calls for the renovation to finish in 2019, about the time the Bears hope quarterback Mitch Trubisky develops into a dependable starter. Drafting Trubisky No. 2 overall essentially increased Pace’s job security or he might be packing up his office too.
If McCaskey abruptly changed his mind and decided at the 11th hour Monday to fire his third GM in seven seasons along with his third coach, he could justify it. Poor talent on Pace’s roster contributed to the 33 losses that cost Fox his job as much as poor coaching. Bears drafts under Pace have been solid but not spectacular, the strongest being the 2017 class that included Trubisky, but too many free-agent misses like wide receiver Markus Wheaton raise legitimate questions — the most troubling what Pace saw in quarterback Mike Glennon to guarantee him $18.5 million. Anybody else wonder what 94-year-old Virginia McCaskey thinks of wasting that much money?
Changing coaches won’t change everything with the Bears, whose issues remain systemic. Pace would benefit from having a boss who actually has built an NFL winner before, but the Bears lack the audacity to add such a layer to management or nudge President Ted Phillips aside. So anticipate Pace emerging from his bunker as early as Monday, using a voice we hear too infrequently, and articulating what he seeks in Fox’s replacement. Say what you will about the Bears’ need to hire a young, offensive-minded assistant, the 2018 version of Rams coach Sean McVay, but Pace must keep his mind open to doing more than just copying leaguewide trends. Find the best coach, period.
The market likely will include at least one experienced NFL head coach worth Pace’s time and interest, ideally quarterback-friendly Bill O’Brien of the Texans. The Bears’ short list of candidates should start with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, perhaps the hottest coordinator, and include Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, Chiefs special-teams coordinator Dave Toub, Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich.
The next step depends on the direction of Pace, ready or not. It feels as if there is only one way to go for the Bears. And the feeling is all too familiar.
