NEWSLETTER
Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles wrapped up his season-ending press conference on Tuesday morning. And while Poles did not offer up a ton of deep thoughts on the team’s ongoing search for a new head coach or a detailed look back at what went wrong in 2024, he did share a handful of worthwhile anecdotes that I found to be worth sharing.
I’ve highlighted three important quotes and added some context and analysis to what Poles said. You can watch the full press conference at the bottom of the post. In the meantime, here are three highlights.
Ryan Poles will be selecting the next Bears coach
When the Bears fired Matt Eberflus as their head coach on the Friday after Thanksgiving, President Kevin Warren gave Ryan Poles a vote of confidence in a statement announcing Eberflus’ dismissal. Days later, when addressing the media about the move, Warren said Poles would be the point man in the team’s search for a new head coach. And yet, the vibes did not align with the optics. Instead, the feeling after the press conference was that Warren was the head honcho and that Poles was riding alongside.
For what it’s worth, Poles said (video via Marquee) that he is the one who will be selecting the head coach:
“I’ll end up selecting the coach.”
— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) January 7, 2025
Ryan Poles on the Bears’ HC search. pic.twitter.com/UbCN8qoX4k
“I’ll end up selecting the coach. I’m taking the lead on that. George and Kevin have put me in charge of that. And that’ll be the relationship between the coach and I.”
On the one hand, I appreciate the transparency that Ryan Poles provides in laying out (1) that he will be making the call on the next head coach and (2) that Chairman George McCaskey and President Kevin Warren have tasked their general manager to find the new head coach.
But on the other hand, I feel as if we have heard this from Poles before. Whether it was retaining Matt Eberflus in January 2024 or hiring him in the first place, Poles has been forward in saying he was making those decisions. And yet, because of what history has shown us about the Bears sticking quarterbacks with coaches and coaches with GMs, there is a seed of doubt when Poles speaks on this during his press conference.
For now, I’ll take his words at face value. But I’ll also remember them if things go sideways and reserve the right to bring it up as part of a larger discussion if necessary.
What are the Bears looking for in a new head coach?
The word “leader of men” has been thrown out a ton since the Bears sent Matt Eberflus packing. And while we have a better idea of what that means, Ryan Poles opened a window into what he was looking for in Chicago’s head coaching hire.
This isn’t an earth-shattering quote from the Bears GM. However, it is a notable one. These are words we should keep with us as we go about dissecting the list of ever-growing head coach candidates the team is lining up for interviews. The major takeaway from this quote is that it will be tremendously difficult for a defensive-minded head coach to get on through to the other side. To be clear, this isn’t to say it is impossible or it can’t happen. But Poles’ words make it clear that it figures to be a tough road to hoe for defensive-leaning candidates.
Is there any one coach in particular who fits that bill? I am sure Ben Johnson will come to mind for many. But he won’t be the only candidate who fits this description. I’m looking forward to following Ryan Poles’ moves as he navigates through the process.
Meet the committee searching for the next Bears head coach
The last time the Bears opened their doors for a search, they leaned on retired NFL executive Bill Polian and a committee (thanks for writing this, Brett!) that consisted of Bears Chairman George McCaskey, President Ted Phillips, Director of Player Engagement Lamar “Soup” Campbell, and SVP for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Tanesha Wade. Three years later, only George McCaskey remains from that group.
Here is who will be on the Bears’ search committee (h/t Kevin Fishbain): Chairman George McCaskey, President Kevin Warren, GM Ryan Poles, Senior Director Player Personnel Jeff King, Director of Football Administration Matt Feinstein, and Chief HR Officer Liz Geist. If you are looking for Bears Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham, Poles said that his top lieutenant is seeking GM opportunities elsewhere and will be in the mix when time allows. That makes sense to me.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this particular nugget is that there will be no influence from an outsider this time around. In 2022, Bill Polian had his hands in the cookie jar. Back in 2015, when the Bears hired John Fox, it was Ernie Accorsi hanging around. I’m glad the Bears are keeping it in-house with full-time employees who are invested in this team. Maybe the most important thing is that the decision-makers in this process have to live with the decision every day, unlike someone parachuting in like Polian or Accorsi.
Extra points
- I thought it was interesting to hear Ryan Poles try to explain the team’s casting of a wide net in a search for a new coach. Poles says that he wants to leave no stone unturned as he compiles a diverse group of candidates. When pressed about the lengthy list, Poles replied that there were interesting candidates he wanted to talk to about the gig. The Bears GM says the team will act with urgency, but won’t rush through it. As far as I’m concerned, casting a wide net and gathering as much intel as possible is something I don’t think this franchise has done well (or at all) in the past. This is new-ish for the Bears.
- The GM addressed the chatter about not working well with the president
- Back in December, there was a buzz about Ryan Poles reportedly being unhappy with the team’s new power structure. Poles seems to have dismissed that notion with how he talked about things today.
- An anecdote worth re-sharing:
- The 49ers have already pulled Kyle Shanahan off the market. And I don’t think the Steelers will be making Mike Tomlin available via trade. But NFL insiders have discussed the trade option for coaches in recent weeks, so I would expect teams (like the Bears) to make phone calls.
For the full Ryan Poles press conference, you can watch the video below:
