Who are the three best defensive coordinators in Bears history?

[BaBaBlacksheep]

There's been some great ones. Think most people would list Ryan first and then the conversation gets interesting. Is Fangio in your top three? Allen was long before my time. Rivera, Marinelli, Tobin and Blache all deserve mention.

 

[Rory Sparrow]

1) George Allen
2) Buddy Ryan
3) Clark Shaughnessy

 

[iueyedoc]

In my lifetime

1) Buddy Ryan
2) Large group of worthy and debatable DC's ( Rivera, Marinelli, Fangio, Lovie Smith)
3) Anyone not Mel Tucker.

 

[LiverpoolBearsFAn]

I'm struggling to separate them after Mel Tucker as number one.

 

[playthrough2001]

1. Ryan
2. Tobin
3. Fangio/Lovie

 

[JordanHoward24]

I think Buddy Ryan has to be number 1. The rest of the list is basically a toss up of the names above.


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[TezMaKai]

1. Fangio

2. Fangio

3. Fangio

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[D.J. Moore]

What about the man, the myth, the Hobbit? Dowell Loggains

He was our defensive coordinator with all of the Jay picks.

 

[Sculpt]

Good question. I can't say I'm up on DC before Ryan. So:

1. Buddy Ryan
2. Rod Marinelli/Lovie Smith
3. Vic Fangio
4. Vince Tobin

I think the top 3 did more with what they had. Vince Tobin topped some stats the 85 Defense set, but he was certainly handed a porsche to begin with. Had he stomped the Joe Gibbs in the 1986 NFC Championship game he'd have more a seat at the table.

 

[shoopster]

Oh, “Vaunted” Vic’s number one, but far . . .

 

[CaptnSUG]

Ron Rivera is a really good coach the Bears inexplicably just kinda let go for no discernible reason.

 

[modo]

Ron Rivera is a really good coach the Bears inexplicably just kinda let go for no discernible reason.

There was a reason...

 

[Mongo_76]

1) Buddy Ryan - When you put together the best D in the history of the NFL... Simple.

2) George Allen - I once directly asked Doug Atkins who he thought was better between Ryan and Allen, he said Ryan had a gimmick Defense that worked for 2 seasons. Allen was a coach.

3) Rod Marinelli - If you don't get this, you need to learn how to google.

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

1) Buddy Ryan - When you put together the best D in the history of the NFL... Simple.

2) George Allen - I once directly asked Doug Atkins who he thought was better between Ryan and Allen, he said Ryan had a gimmick Defense that worked for 2 seasons. Allen was a coach.

3) Rod Marinelli - If you don't get this, you need to learn how to google.

That's probably my order too.

 

[sevvy]

Buddy Ryan
Rod Marinelli
Vic Fangio

 

[Unannounced Fart]

Maybe my memory is bad, but I seem to recall that Rivera wasn't all that when he was coaching with the Bears, especially after the lackluster Super Bowl performance. The players seemed to be really frustrated with him.

 

[Tjodalv]

Maybe my memory is bad, but I seem to recall that Rivera wasn't all that when he was coaching with the Bears, especially after the lackluster Super Bowl performance. The players seemed to be really frustrated with him.

Then the D promptly became mediocre for a few years under the "guidance" of Babich and Lovie (Lovie as acting DC for a time) after they let Ron walk. They were 5th in scoring D in 2006, 16th the following two seasons, 21st in '09, and finally started to bounce back in '10 (when Marinelli was made DC).

 

[mecha]

Rivera was good. how good was Rivera? well, as Tjodalv stated, the defense took a nosedive after he left. that's how good he was. he was probably inflated by the fact he had maybe the 2nd overall best defensive personnel in team history, but they fucked a number of teams up during his time. Angelo did some really Special person shit in that offseason before 2007, notably trading Thomas Jones for what my uncle and I have since called "a case of Gatorade". (it's stupid how many great offensive players the Bears jettisoned to the Jets). but among the dumbfuck moves was the handling of Rivera. Lovie was probably whispering in Angelo's ear they could do better with that dufus Babich at the helm for less money, I'm sure.

I call Ryan at #1 because he was a genius, Fangio at #2 based on what he did with the 49ers and what he's done the last few years, and probably Rivera at #3 for those 2005/2006 teams.

EDIT: I discovered that due to his success with the 2005 Bears, he was getting interviews for HC jobs. the former Bears regime basically cunted out over this and just chose not to re-sign him out of spite I guess.

 

[anotheridiot]

Maybe my memory is bad, but I seem to recall that Rivera wasn't all that when he was coaching with the Bears, especially after the lackluster Super Bowl performance. The players seemed to be really frustrated with him.

The players were frustrated because Lovie started calling the defensive plays during the super bowl. They were screaming at a guy that did not have control anymore.

 

[bearsfootball516]

1. Buddy Ryan
2. Vic Fangio
3. Ron Rivera