NEWSLETTER
It was only a matter of time until the Chicago Bears’ strong start was going to result in some rumored interest in their coaching staff from outside of Halas Hall.
Offensive Coordinator Mark Helfrich popped up on a list of possible candidates for the newly open University of Colorado head-coaching position via ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. Colorado announced on Saturday Mike MacIntyre won’t be back with the team, opening the search for his replacement. And if the Buffaloes are looking for someone with previous head-coaching experience and a recognizable name, then Helfrich’s name fits the bill.
Helfrich was Oregon’s head coach from 2013 to 2016 and has history with Colorado, having served as the team’s OC and QBs Coach from 2006-08. Maybe there’s something here for a coach who wants to a second chance at life calling the shots at a power conference school where familiarity exists.
When Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy hired Helfrich, he was one year removed from the end of his tenure as Oregon’s HC and had successfully transitioned into a quality college football analyst. We viewed the hire as an investment in Mitch Trubisky’s development, and so far, the return on investment has been everything we could have dreamed of and more.
Helfrich arrived in Chicago having been well-versed in quarterback grooming and his splicing of spread concepts with Matt Nagy’s West Coast style was expected to accelerate Trubisky’s development. And to this point, Helfrich has been a home-run hire. So much so, that Trubisky’s second-year improvement could be a selling point that could make Helfrich a person of interest for open coaching positions in college. After all, Helfrich was reportedly expected to be a candidate for the University of Arizona’s head-coach vacancy before it went to Kevin Sumlin and there were rumors of Helfrich re-uniting with Chip Kelly at UCLA and serving as his offensive coordinator. Success at the professional level will only heighten Helfrich’s profile.
Ultimately, Helfrich chose being an NFL offensive coordinator over a pair of college football openings – a move that could pay off should Helfrich decide he wants another crack at being the lead dog at the college level.
The risk of a competitive team being poached is the ultimate “rich people problems” … but I’d still hate for Helfrich to leave just as Trubisky’s climb up the quarterback rankings begins and the offense finally pointing in the right direction. Helfrich’s fingerprints are everywhere from Trubisky’s development to the widely popular offensive concepts that stretch the field horizontally and vertically for playmakers. With that being said, if Helfrich’s football destiny lies elsewhere, so be it. But until then, Helfrich has some bigger fish to fry – starting in a few hours.
