The Chicago Bears will probably prefer to maintain things much the same in 2024 after their defence made significant progress in 2023.
Following a significant portion of 2023 without having a true defensive coordinator, the Bears will search for Alan Williams’ replacement in 2024. From Week 2, head coach Matt Eberflus performed an excellent job taking over and calling defensive plays; it’s likely that he will call plays again the following season. They will still require assistance with unit organisation.
The Bears might be best served by making internal promotions. In this manner, the team can preserve as much consistency as possible, and the person who takes over the position will already be well-aware of Eberflus’s preferences. He still has an option to think about if the team decides to keep all of its position coaches in place.
The Bears might, of course, wish to add some new perspectives to the mix. They will need to cast a smaller net than they would have on offence if they choose that course because they need someone who can operate inside their 4-3 formation. That shouldn’t provide too big of a challenge, but that’s a topic for another day.
We’re examining internal employees today who may be on the Bears’ interview list for the DC opening.
JON HOKE – BEARS CORNERBACKS COACH, PASS GAME COORDINATOR.
Among the building’s more seasoned coaches is Hoke. In 1982, he took a position as a cornerbacks coach at Dayton. Since 2002, he has had a variety of positions in the NFL, with the exception of brief stops at South Carolina in 2015 and Maryland in 2019–2020.
In addition to overseeing Jaylon Johnson’s first All-Pro season, Hoke was a major factor in the growth of Terell Smith, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon.
DAVE BORGONZI – BEARS LINEBACKERS COACH.
Since Eberflus specialises on linebackers, it is critical that his linebackers perform well in the heart of the defence. In 2023, Borgonzi was instrumental in ensuring that Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards were capable of performing at a high level.
Borgonzi has worked with Eberflus for a long time as well. From 2018 until 2021, Borgonzi led Eberflus’ linebackers in Indianapolis. In 2011–2012, while Eberflus was the linebackers coach and Borgonzi was a defensive assistant, the two also collaborated in Dallas.
ANDRE CURTIS – BEARS SAFETIES COACH.
Eddie Jackson was given a fresh start by the Bears in 2022, and Curtis was the one to school him up on chase and tackle angles. Jackson eventually had a comeback under Curtis’ coaching. Additionally, Curtis assisted Jaquan Brisker in his NFL transition and development into a strong safety player.
With a lengthy track record in the NFL, Curtis has aided six players in making it to the Pro Bowl in Seattle: Quandre Diggs (2020, 2021), Shaquill Gryphon (2019), Richard Sherman (2015, 2016), Earl Thomas (2015, 2017), and Kam Chancellor (2015).
TRAVIS SMITH – BEARS DEFENSIVE LINE COACH
Smith is frequently given credit for organising some of the Bears’ more inventive stunts and pressure tactics. He used DeMarcus Walker, Justin Jones, Yannick Ngakoue, and Montez Sweat in a variety of tactics to assist the team put pressure on the opposition quarterbacks.
Like Eberflus, he is descended from Rod Marinelli and spent ten years with the Raiders. Many prominent Raiders pass rushers, including Khalil Mack, Maxx Crosby, and Clelin Ferrell, benefited from Smith’s development.
PHIL SNOW – BEARS SENIOR DEFENSIVE ANALYST.
In 2023, the Bears decided to bring in Snow to assist the squad with advance scouting rather than employing a new DC. He researched the players and patterns of the Bears’ opponent, who was one week away, and then gave the defensive staff a report so they could start gameplanning for the upcoming week immediately.
Snow had been a coach at the NCAA D-I level or above since 1982, when he joined the Bears. The Carolina Panthers, Washington Huskies, UCLA Bruins, Arizona State Sun Devils, Baylor Bears, Temple Owls, and Eastern Michigan Owls are among the teams for which he has worked as a defensive coordinator.
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