Bears head coach candidate tracker

Tracking the candidates in the Bears’ wide-ranging head coaching search:

Former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel

Status: The Bears interviewed Vrabel on Wednesday afternoon.

Background: Vrabel went 54-45 in six seasons with the Titans, going to five playoff games before being fired at the end of the 2023 season in a power struggle with his general manager. Vrabel played for the Chiefs when Bears GM Ryan Poles was a low-level front office employee there.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson

Status: The Bears are expected to interview him later this week.

Background: Johnson is the hottest assistant coach candidate in the league after helping to turn the Lions into a juggernaut. The Lions have finished in the top five in the NFL in points and yards in each of the first full seasons he’s been their play-caller. Johnson said last month he was more prepared to jump to a head coaching job than he was in recent years, when he backed out of interviews in order to stay in Detroit. Johnson is intrigued by Caleb Williams — and the feeling is mutual.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn

Status: The Bears are expected to interview him later this week.

Background: Glenn was a NFL cornerback from 1994-2008 before becoming a personnel scout with the Jets from 2012-13 and a defensive backs coach for the Browns and Saints from 20014-20. He’s been the Lions’ defensive coordinator since 2021 and is belowved for his fiery personality. Glenn praised Caleb Williams last month, calling him “very resilient” and saying he was unfairly criticized.

“[Quarterbacks] get beat down so much that people really don’t see the things they go through to be a top player — especially a No. 1 pick,” he said.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy

Status: The Bears reached out to request an interview but were rebuffed by the Cowboys. His contract expires Jan. 14.

Backgound: McCarthy won Super Bowl XLV as the Packers head coach and is the third-winningest active head coach in the NFL. He’s spent the past five seasons as the Cowboys’ head coach but his future is very much still up in the air. His combination of play-calling and head coaching experience would appeal to the Bears.

Former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll

Status: The Bears are expected to interview him Thursday.

Background: Carroll is one of the most accomplished football coaches walking the planet, having reached the playoffs in 10 of 13 seasons with the Seahawks. He's one of four head coaches ever to win a NCAA national championship and a Super Bowl — alongside Barry Switzer, Jimmy Johnson and Jim Harbaugh. He has a 170-120 record all-time as an NFL head coach.

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores

Status: The Bears can't interview him until next week

Background: Flores has turned the Vikings' blitzing defense into one of the most-feared in the NFL and is eager to return to head coaching. He went 24-25 in four years as the Dolphins head coach but publicly feuded with young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a fact that could give the Bears pause and they seek someone to pair with Caleb Williams. Flores went to Boston College with GM Ryan Poles and shares mutual Vikings acquaintances with Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren, who used to work in Minnesota.

Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury

Status: The Bears can’t interview him until next week.

Background: He and Jayden Daniels have been a match made in heaven this year, with Kingsbury designing an offense to fit the quarterback’s skillset and propel him toward Offensive Rookie of the Year. He has head coaching experience, too, going 28-37-1 in four seasons with the Cardinals. Kingsbury spent 2023 as a USC assistant and helped prepare quarterback Caleb Williams for the NFL. Williams has praised him when given the chance this season.

Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown

Status: The Bears have said they will interview Brown.

Background: Brown held three different jobs for the Bears this season, starting as the pass-game coordinator — and occasional scout-team nickel cornerback during practice — before being promoted to offensive coordinator and then interim head coach. Quarterback Caleb Williams improved after Brown took over for Shane Waldron but took a step back once Brown assumed head coaching responsibilities. The Bears went 1-4 with Brown in charge, beating the rival Packers, losing to the Seahawks by three and playing three games that weren't particularly competitive. Brown was the Panthers' offensive coordinator for part of 2023 but has less than a year's worth of NFL play-caller experience between last season and this.

Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka

Status: The Bears are expected to interview him this week.

Background: Kafka is a St. Rita and Northwestern alum who served as Patrick Mahomes' quarterbacks coach in five seasons with the Chiefs. (He was replaced by Matt Nagy). Kafka worked with GM Ryan Poles in Kansas CIty but is not considered likely to get the job.

Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing

Status: The Bears were set to interview him Wednesday evening.

Background: In his first year as the Cardinals' play-caller, Petzing led the Cardinals to 23.6 points per game, which ranked 12th in the NFL. The 37-year-old worked for the Vikings while president/CEO Kevin Warren was there. Like Kafka, he's a longshot candidate.

Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith

Status: The Bears can't interview him virtually until next week.

Background: Smith helped to develop a decent Steelers offense — they finished 16th in scoring this season — with Justin Fields and then Russell Wilson under center. He went 21-30 in three seasons as the Falcons' head coach after spending two seasons as Mike Vrabel's offensive coordinator. He's never been given a blue-chip quarterback and it's worth wondering what his plan for Caleb Williams would look like.

Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken

Status: The Bears can't interview him virtually until next week.

Background: Monken just finished his second season as the Ravens' offensive coordinator, where he finished third in the league in scoring, first in rushing yards and seventh in passing yards. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is among the favorites to win MVP. He was the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator from 2016-18 and the Browns' in 2019. He won two national championships at Georgia before joining the Ravens in 2023. Monken is from Wheaton.