History has a funny way of repeating itself.
Kyle Brandt of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football program offered up the idea of first-year Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy following in the footsteps of the reigning NFL Coach of the Year Sean McVay. HOWEVER, it seems as if Nagy is taking a route that is somewhat unexpected.
“There are a lot of changes that area already happening around the facility. We’re hearing there’s new rules in the locker room that are much stricter,” Brandt explained. “I asked someone with the Bears is it more like Nagy is your friend, like he’s a player’s coach? It’s actually the opposite. The prior coach might have been too friendly, Nagy’s cracking the whip, and guys are responding to it.”
When coaching changes happen, the team installs a coach who represents the complete opposite of what the old guard was all about. So it’s not much of a surprise that the Bears went with the offensive-minded Nagy to replace the defensive-leaning John Fox. What is surprising that the closed-off, tense, and keep-to-yourself vibes that came across might have been too friendly. Fox has a reputation for being a player’s coach, but several free agents have talked about how Nagy was a primary reason they wanted to come to Chicago in the first place.
It’s possible the Bears have hit the jackpot by hiring a coach who strikes the right balance between being good with players, but also a disciplinarian. Sounds like the best of both worlds to me.
As for the McVay-Nagy comps, let Brandt explain them and you’ll see how unavoidable they are: “An offensive guru first-time head coach. Sounds familiar. A second-year quarterback who needs to make a jump. Two-for-two. A very loaded running game. A very talented defense with a wily, old coordinator behind it. How about taking over an offense from the prior regime that was run like it was 1997 – Jeff Fisher and John Fox. There’s a lot in common.”
Despite the hurdles he had to clear, McVay helped aid Jared Goff’s meteoric rise and led the Los Angeles Rams to a NFC West championship and a playoff berth.
No pressure, Coach Nagy.