NEWSLETTER
Business is picking up for the Chicago Bears, who turn their eyes to an offensive coordinator search after landing a new head coach and general manager this week.
And while the GM search felt like it took awhile, the journey to find a new offensive coordinator appears to be coming in hot:
Chicago Bears are interviewing Texans passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton on Saturday, according to a league source, after previously declining interview with Carolina Panthers for their offensive coordinator vacancy.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 28, 2022
Not too long after Luke Getsy’s name popped up on the Bears’ radar, another name emerges as a candidate.
NFL reporter Aaron Wilson shares a nugget about the Bears lining up an interview with Texans QBs Coach/Passing Game Coordinator Pep Hamilton for the team’s vacant offensive coordinator position. Hamilton, whose full name is Alfonza “Pep” Hamilton, has been one of the most buzz worthy names on the coach interview circuit. So much so, he turned down an opportunity to interview for the Panthers offensive coordinator gig. Nothing says someone knows their worth like rejecting an opportunity that isn’t the best for them, even though it would represent an upgrade in terms of new title and responsibility.
Hamilton is a wanted man. And for good reason, too.
Hamilton has all sorts of coaching experience. He has experience coaching quarterbacks with the Chargers (2020), Browns (2016), 49ers (2006), Jets (2004), and Bears (2007-09). Hamilton also has head coaching and general manager experience with the XFL’s DC Defenders in 2020. Plus, he already has experience as a play-caller from 2013-15 with the Colts. And as an additional bonus, Hamilton coached receivers at Stanford (2010) and Jets (2005). It is a loaded résumé for a top-tier coaching candidate. No wonder he’s on Eberflus’ radar.
The final year of Hamilton’s run as Colts OC wasn’t much to write home about. That unit in 2015 finished 28th in yards and 24th in points. But the first two years were darn good. The Colts checked in with the 14th most points in 2013 behind quarterback Andrew Luck, a running back tandem of Trent Richardson and Donald Brown, and T.Y. Hilton as the leading receiver. They even put up 45 points in an epic wild-card round win against the Chiefs. A year later, Indy’s offense put up the sixth most points. The Colts rode an offense that picked uptake third most yards to the AFC title game that year. Luck did a ton of the heavy lifting, throwing for 4,761 yards, 40 touchdowns, and a 96.5 passer rating. It is a small snap shot, but an enticing one.
Throw in his time with the Colts, his entire body of work, and his recent hand in molding a stud prospect (Justin Herbert, anyone?) and a mid-round flier Davis Mills (c’mon, now – that guy didn’t have any business putting up four games of 100+ passer rating … right?) makes Hamilton a top target in our books.
