Bears Already Targeting 2 Big Names for Head-Coaching Opening

The Matt Eberflus era in Chicago is officially over. After 2.5 seasons with the Bears, Eberflus became the first coach in franchise history to be fired mid-season. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will take over as the interim head coach for the last five games of the season but the Bears will be looking to make a big-name hire in the offseason.

Frontrunners for the job have already started to emerge. ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported that there are two names at the top of Chicago's list: Lions OC Ben Johnson and Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury.

Bears News: Ben Johnson & Kliff Kingsbury Emerge as Top Candidates for HC

These names shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody. Johnson is everyone's favorite first-time head coaching candidate after turning the Lions into offensive juggernauts. With the amount of offensive talent on the Bears, he makes a ton of sense as a long-term head coach for Caleb Williams.

Kingsbury, on the other hand, already has a relationship with Williams. After being fired from the Cardinals after the 2022 season, he was a senior offensive analyst under head coach Lincoln Riley at USC, working closely with Williams. He was hired by Dan Quinn in Washington as the offensive coordinator before the 2024 season.

"Two team sources told ESPN that Brown will be considered among the candidates in January as the Bears begin their coaching search. Other names the Bears hope to interview include Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Washington Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, the latter of whom interviewed for the Bears' offensive coordinator opening before the team hired Waldron."

- Courtney Cronin, ESPN

More names will certainly emerge between now and the offseason. The Bears need to cast a wide net to nail this decision. Considering these two highly sought-after offensive talents is a good start.

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