THE Chicago Bear are hiring Ben Johnson as their next head coach, and they’re wasting no time filling out the rest of the coaching staff. According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Bears are heavily seeking former New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi to become their special teams coordinator.
The Bears are also heavily pursuing former Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi as special teams coach, according to sources. He’s drawing interest from more than a half-dozen teams, but if Rizzi doesn’t land a head coaching job, Chicago is his potential landing spot. https://t.co/ErIQmZ3te9
–Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 20, 2025
Rizzi is a longtime NFL special teams coordinator and has ties to Johnson. He broke into the league with the Miami Dolphins when Johnson was there and served as their special teams coordinator from 2011 to 2018. He also held the title of associate head coach from 2017 to 2018.
In 2019, he joined the Saints as special teams coordinator and also became an assistant head coach. After head coach Dennis Allen was fired midway through the 2024 season, Rizzi took over as interim head coach and went 3-5.
Rizzi is well respected as a special teams coordinator and has interests elsewhere in the league, according to Schefter. He’s in the running for a head coaching job, but if he doesn’t land one, the Bears could be the ultimate destination. It would also give Johnson another coach on his staff with years of experience, who also served as a head coach at one point during his career. The Bears are also reportedly in the driver’s seat to name Allen as defensive coordinator.
This article was originally published on Bears Wire: Bears reportedly considering Darren Rizzi for special teams coordinator job
