We are already crossing off some notable names of possible Chicago Bears assistant coach candidates as Ben Johnson begins piecing together his staff.
On Wednesday, it was reported that there was a sense that Detroit Lions Offensive Line Coach Hank Fraley would not be following Johnson and joining the Bears’ coaching staff. Today, we are just about ready to fully cross Darren Rizzi off the wish list of assistant coach candidates.
Denver-based Broncos reporter Mike Klis shares what he has heard about Rizzi not being in the cards for Chicago’s football team:
In case you missed it, there were reports earlier in the week that the team was reportedly targeting Rizzi as its next special teams coordinator. But with other teams in the mix and a head coach position still open with the New Orleans Saints, this one wasn’t seen as a lock.
Additionally, it is worth pointing out that Klis adds in the tweet above that the Bears are expected to keep Richard Hightower as their special teams coordinator. Hightower has been the Bears’ special teams coordinator since 2022. And if he opens the season in Chicago, he will have served under four different head coaches. In addition to working for Matt Eberflus and Thomas Brown the last few years, Hightower was an assistant special teams coach on John Fox’s staff with the Bears in 2016.
If Darren Rizzi is out, then what’s next for Ben Johnson’s Bears staff?
I don’t have overly strong feelings about the Bears missing out on Darren Rizzi (if that is how the cookie crumbles). This isn’t to say that Rizzi would not have brought good things and been a potential upgrade to the staff. But Hightower has been coaching special teams for a while and at different stops. Having a respected coach who is good enough to survive after purging the old regime’s staff would be quite an accomplishment.
With that being said, it would have been nice to see someone with head coaching experience (albeit on an interim basis) join Ben Johnson’s Bears staff. I suppose that could still happen with hires elsewhere. It’s just that it won’t happen with the special teams coach.
In case you missed it, the Bears reportedly parted ways with Thomas Brown, Chris Beatty, Eric Washington, Kerry Joseph, and Chris Morgan. So, in other words, Chicago’s staff needs fillings at offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, defensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and offensive line coach. I fully expect a new wave of coaches to come in and put new eyes on some old problem spots. Hopefully, these changes will yield desired results.