No matter which way you slice it, the end of the John Fox Era appears to be upon us.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Fox is not expected to return as the Chicago Bears head coach after a third consecutive last-place NFC North finish. Fox is 14-33 since taking over for Marc Trestman, but has more wins against the AFC North in 2017 (4) than he does against the NFC North (3) in his three seasons with the Bears.
Meanwhile, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports Fox “is expected to be fired” after the Bears’ game against the Vikings on Sunday. Rapoport adds GM Ryan Pace will lead the search and added Ted Phillips has been doing background on some of the candidates, which is something we discussed – while tugging at our collars – a week ago at this time.
Rapoport also writes defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will likely get an interview, but the team’s focus seems to be on an offensive-minded coach who can aid in the development of quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
Fox has been on the hot seat since the offseason and it never cooled. Back in November, it was reported the Bears already had a list of future candidates for Fox’s replacement. That was followed in short order by a list of eight coaches the team could be considering to choose from when they officially made the move to part ways with Fox. The NFL’s Career Development Advisory group has already sent out with its list of 12 candidates for teams that could be in the hunt for a new coach, as has the Fritz-Pollard Alliance.
Buckle up, friends. It’s going to be a ride.
Already, we’re hearing about offensive-minded candidates like Vikings OC Pat Shurmur and Saints OC Pete Carmichael.