LAKE FOREST, IL (CBS) — The Chicago Bears coaching carousel really starts to spin this week.
Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is reportedly at Halas Hall on Wednesday for an interview, with Detroit Lions coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn following up.
The Bears brain trust addressed the issue Tuesday. But general manager Ryan Poles’ end-of-season news conference didn’t provide much new information.
However, it was made clear that Poles was the person responsible for the head coaching search, a search that will be thorough to be successful.
“We’re going to cast a wide net. It’s going to be a diverse group. There’s going to be different backgrounds, from offense to defense to special teams to college to professional. We’re turning every stone to make sure we let’s succeed in the right way,” the Poles said. “There are going to be names that you don’t expect, that are going to surprise you, because we’re digging deeper than ever before.”
One of the questions coaching candidates will likely ask is: what will the future look like for Poles within the organization? The Bears general manager did not say whether his contract would expire after next season or if he would get an extension, but he said he would discuss that information privately with candidates if they asked.
“In the interviews I’ve been in, it’s never been a factor,” Bears president George McCaskey said. “No one has ever come to us and said, ‘I’m not going to come here unless the general manager and I are on the same schedule, so I don’t think that will be a factor.’
“I trust Ryan. I trust the process he’s put in place. I’m confident it will produce positive results. We will hire a world-class coach, whether it’s Thomas Brown or someone who is not currently employed by this organization,” Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said. “We’ll get there.”
Warren and McCaskey are part of a large group that will participate in the interview process.
Meanwhile, Poles dispelled rumors about his relationship with Warren, saying it couldn’t be further from the truth that there was friction. He called the rumors disappointing.
Jori Parys
