soulman Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 The one Chicago Bears head coaching candidate no one seems to mention by Rob Schwarz Jr 1 week ago Follow @ChiRuxinBGO When we look at the head coaching candidates throughout the NFL, the majority of the time it has to do with the top offensive and defensive coordinators. At times, teams will bring back former NFL head coaches and other times teams will bring in the top college coaches. We have already seen two college coaches take jobs with different schools and will no longer be an option for the Chicago Bears should they move on from Matt Nagy. Is anyone else frustrated by the fact that Matt Nagy is still coaching this team? Personally, you should know by now that Matt Nagy is not going anywhere with six games left in the season and the team being one game out of the playoffs. That’s right…if you missed it, the Chicago Bears are still “in the hunt.” Brendan Sugrue @BrendanSugrue You can never count the Chicago Bears out of the hunt. We're here for life. I know, I know. What a ridiculous notion. Here was my response to the same post on Twitter: Rob Schwarz Jr. @ChiRuxinBGO Imagine if the #Bears weren’t screwed by the refs vs Steelers and they didn’t **** the bed vs a Lamar Jackson-less Ravens team. No need…they’d still fall short Quote Tweet 10:08 PM · Nov 28, 2021·Twitter for iPhone Now, excuse the language, that was not very professional of me. That said, at this point in the year, despite not having high expectations for this team, I still get upset when they lose. I still get upset when they make boneheaded decisions. I still get upset, even though I love Brendan Sugrue and I know his post was based on sarcasm, when fans say nonsense like “the Chicago Bears are still in the hunt” despite not having a chance of making the playoffs. The Chicago Bears need to keep all options open to replace Matt Nagy Well, I am going to be very upset if Matt Nagy is not gone by the end of the year (preferably within the last two weeks of the season) and if Ryan Pace is just magically safe. For those of you who read my content consistently, I am obviously not as hard on Pace as others. That does not mean that I think he deserves to remain as the Chicago Bears general manager come 2022. How is it that there have been leaks regarding Nagy’s seat being hot but not Pace’s seat? Simple, the leaks are probably from Pace’s camp as he tries to distance himself from Nagy. Well, no matter who is choosing the next head coach of the Chicago Bears, it appears that this one name is hardly mentioned if mentioned at all. The Chicago Bears should consider giving Dave Toub a shot at being a head coach Remember when I brought up how most teams are always looking at the top offensive and defensive coordinators? Well, the Chicago Bears should consider a different approach. Why not give their former special teams coordinator, Dave Toub a shot? For those of you who have a short memory, Dave Toub was with the Chicago Bears from 2004 to 2012. This is the entirety of the Lovie Smith era. He moved on from the Bears and headed over to work under Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs. Toub has held the same position with the Chiefs from 2013 through the present day, however, the Chiefs also promoted him to Assistant Head Coach in 2018 — a position he still holds today. Prior to his stint with Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears, Dave Toub coached for three years with the Philadelphia Eagles. His head coach was once again Andy Reid. Normally, I prefer my head coaches to have experience under multiple great minds. Toub somewhat falls into that category, despite that Lovie Smith wasn’t the best head coach. That said, Smith was definitely a good head coach. Throughout Toub’s 20-year NFL coaching career, he has only been a part of a team that had less than 10 wins six times. Although he doesn’t deserve all of the credit as a special teams coordinator, it should be pointed out that he knows what a winning culture looks like. However, why should the Chicago Bears even consider Toub, a special teams coordinator, for the job? Dave Toub would have plenty to offer the Chicago Bears Let’s get the first point out of the way. John Harbaugh is a perfect example of how a special teams coordinator can handle running a football team. What is interesting here is that Dave Toub was a special teams coach under John Harbaugh (special teams coordinator) while in Philadelphia. This also means that Harbaugh is technically a part of the Andy Reid tree as well. John Harbaugh was the Eagles special teams coordinator from 1998 to 2007. In 2007, Harbaugh was also the team’s defensive backs coach. The Ravens hired Harbaugh as their head coach the following season and the rest is history. Harbaugh is in his 14th season with one Super Bowl victory and nine playoff appearances. It will be 10 playoff appearances though once the 2021 regular season comes to an end. Harbaugh is the most successful case, but Joe Judge is now coaching the New York Giants (time will tell with him) and although he didn’t go from a special teams coordinator to the Patriots’ head coach, Bill Belichick was a special teams coordinator before taking on the roll of linebackers coach and then defensive coordinator for six years before getting his first head coaching gig with the Browns. One thing that sets special teams coordinators apart from offensive and defensive coordinators is the fact they work with the entire team, all the coaches and even the staff. It’s like an inside-track to running an entire team — also known as becoming a head coach. According to Prime Time Sports Talk, heading into the 2020 season, there have been 500 head coaches to date to coach at least one game. Only 20 percent (100) have coached 100 games and only three percent (3) of those 100 were special teams coordinators before becoming head coaches in the NFL. John Harbaugh is one, but do you know one of the other three? His name is Mike Ditka. Could bringing in Dave Toub as the Chicago Bears’ next head coach be the change this team needs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAF-N72EX Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 I would love it but I'm not sure he even wants to be a HC. He's been getting mentioned for years now and still hasn't ever taken the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 If Matt Nagy isn't terminated after Aaron Rodgers "owns" him again on Sunday night his ticket out of town will almost certainly be validated by Monday and all we have to wait for is week 17 to know whether or not he'll be let go before that game or simply informed that he won't be back. Either way works as far as the rules go. And I guess as long as few others are stumping hard for their preferred candidate(s) I'll once again toss a hat into the ring that I have once before in 2018. I really honestly believe Dave Toub should get strong consideration for the job. Number one he has been a top Bears coordinator for 8 years under Lovie Smith and he's gone on to work under Andy Reid in KC while at the same time not being just another apple for the Reid "coaching tree" as Nagy and Pederson were. There's no sense repeating what this column has already said in pointing out his strong points and his qualifications which are good enough for Andy Reid to have made him his Asst. HC. Given Reid previous medical history that's not just a ceremonial role as much as it is serving an apprenticeship for his own HC gig eventually. Now would seem to as good a time as any. But he's only an ST Coordinator some say? So was John Harbaugh, and Mike Ditka, and when Nagy was out with COVID who became the Bears interim HC? Not Bill Lazor. Not Sean Desai or even Mike Pettine who has been an NFL HC already. It was Chris Tabor our own lowly ST Coordinator. So let's knock off the STC experience only crap already OK? This team needs a good generalist HC more than it needs anything else. Someone willing to coach the entire team and who know where to find good assistants and coordinators, hire them, then delegate to them and allow them to do their jobs something Matt Nagy could never seem to grasp or do. IMHO we need first of all to hire a good HC. Then HE needs to be the one to decide on who will be in charge of developing Justin Fields and the offense we need to build around him. That's what an OC and QB coach are for. So I've made my initial choice and I'll stand by it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 1 minute ago, JAF-N72EX said: I would love it but I'm not sure he even wants to be a HC. He's been getting mentioned for years now and still hasn't ever taken the job. Has one ever been offered to him? I don't recall that ever happening. Can't attend the party without an invitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAF-N72EX Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 (edited) 3 minutes ago, soulman said: Has one ever been offered to him? I don't recall that ever happening. Can't attend the party without an invitation. IIRC he's been interviewed for the job in the past. https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/nfl/bieniemy-not-the-only-kc-snub Quote Toub has interviewed for four head-coaching positions: Miami in 2012, Chicago in 2013 and both Denver and San Diego in 2017. The Bears hired Joe Philbin, the Bears Marc Trestman, the Broncos Vance Joseph and the Chargers Anthony Lynn. Edited December 12, 2021 by JAF-N72EX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 4 minutes ago, JAF-N72EX said: IIRC he's been interviewed for the job in the past. https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/nfl/bieniemy-not-the-only-kc-snub So in the past 9 years he's been interviewed four times but interviewed ain't hired brother. That's notable. But what is notable is the success of those who were hired over Toub. Kind of a sorry lot eh? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAF-N72EX Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 17 minutes ago, soulman said: So in the past 9 years he's been interviewed four times but interviewed ain't hired brother. That's notable. But what is notable is the success of those who were hired over Toub. Kind of a sorry lot eh? It's sad really. And not just in hindsight either. Philbin and Lynn I could understand at the time but choosing a CFL coach over Toub is just mind-boggling. Toub should be in the HOF some day. But such as life as a Bears fan lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 15 minutes ago, JAF-N72EX said: It's sad really. And not just in hindsight either. Philbin and Lynn I could understand at the time but choosing a CFL coach over Toub is just mind-boggling. Toub should be in the HOF some day. But such as life as a Bears fan lol. IMHO this is what happens when NFL teams become fixated on hiring the most recent top dog OC or DC from somewhere instead of the guy whose the best coach period. Companies big and small make similar mistakes. They hire a top dog sales guy with plans to make them their national sales manager then find he's not well enough organized for it and he can't teach selling skills to others. Trestman was a true anomaly based on Phil Emery believing he was more clever than anyone else and that he'd hired a true offensive genius. One who'd basically been banished to the CFL because his offenses seldom worked for long in the NFL. Emery was a stooge hired by two others stooges who are still around and still have a hand in hiring a HC. Welcome to all of our nightmares. But even now look at who the media is touting and who are own members are touting. Kellen Moore may be the next Joe Philbin who looked great when his QB was Aaron Rodgers but no so great in Miami without Aaron Rodgers. And who was that hot shot at Carolina who just got fired? Vance Joseph is a very good DC but is he HC material? The same with Leslie Frazier. The Broncos stole Vic Fangio from us and now they may be about ready to let him go. Some guys are just not cut out to be NFL HCs but they can be tremendously effective coordinators and teachers who can develop young talent provide they remain coordinators. Who'd a thunk our only SB win would come with Mike Ditka has HC or that John Harbaugh would succeed as he has? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAF-N72EX Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 16 minutes ago, soulman said: IMHO this is what happens when NFL teams become fixated on hiring the most recent top dog OC or DC from somewhere instead of the guy whose the best coach period. Companies big and small make similar mistakes. They hire a top dog sales guy with plans to make them their national sales manager then find he's not well enough organized for it and he can't teach selling skills to others. Trestman was a true anomaly based on Phil Emery believing he was more clever than anyone else and that he'd hired a true offensive genius. One who'd basically been banished to the CFL because his offenses seldom worked for long in the NFL. Emery was a stooge hired by two others stooges who are still around and still have a hand in hiring a HC. Welcome to all of our nightmares. But even now look at who the media is touting and who are own members are touting. Kellen Moore may be the next Joe Philbin who looked great when his QB was Aaron Rodgers but no so great in Miami without Aaron Rodgers. And who was that hot shot at Carolina who just got fired? Vance Joseph is a very good DC but is he HC material? The same with Leslie Frazier. The Broncos stole Vic Fangio from us and now they may be about ready to let him go. Some guys are just not cut out to be NFL HCs but they can be tremendously effective coordinators and teachers who can develop young talent provide they remain coordinators. Who'd a thunk our only SB win would come with Mike Ditka has HC or that John Harbaugh would succeed as he has? A perfect case of "it may look good on paper..." lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topwop1 Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 (edited) Ive always liked Toub but my main concerns with him are that he's a bit old to be a first time head coach and also that he got turned down for multiple jobs in the past and didn't even get an interview with his long time pal Chris Ballard for the Indy HC job. I wouldn't be opposed to him being Bears HC but it goes without saying that he'd need to build a good staff, especially on the O side. One would have to assume he'd try to poach some Chiefs coaches to bring over with him. I wonder if Mike Kafka would be a good offensive coordinator for us in the event Toub got hired? It'd be a bit of a risky hire but also one that could turn out very well. Edited December 12, 2021 by topwop1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 (edited) 8 hours ago, topwop1 said: Ive always liked Toub but my main concerns with him are that he's a bit old to be a first time head coach and also that he got turned down for multiple jobs in the past and didn't even get an interview with his long time pal Chris Ballard for the Indy HC job. I wouldn't be opposed to him being Bears HC but it goes without saying that he'd need to build a good staff, especially on the O side. One would have to assume he'd try to poach some Chiefs coaches to bring over with him. I wonder if Mike Kafka would be a good offensive coordinator for us in the event Toub got hired? It'd be a bit of a risky hire but also one that could turn out very well. He's 59 which would make him roughly the same age as Vic Fangio when the Broncos hired him. I might prefer a younger HC as well but with Toub having spent over 20 years as an NFL coach by now he's both well connected and he has a pretty good understanding of how other NFL teams position themselves both offensively and defensively. IMHO being an adept "big picture guy" is what being a successful NFL HC is all about. It's not about being an obsessed micro-manager type. Ballard chose McD over him which is understandable but then if he had a do over what would Ballard have done? I'm all too aware of the risks involved with hiring a Dave Toub as a HC but I also believe it's time we start thinking outside of the box and doing something different since what we've been trying since the days of Ditka hasn't worked well at all. Dave Toub ST units are always highly ranked despite massive turnover which tells me he's a very good coach/teacher and that his guys play hard for him. I also believe that he can work with Pace and that he'll more than likely be content with less roster turnover initially which is where we should be in that regard. We lack both the cap and the draft picks for a major tear down and rebuild so the next HC and staff will need to max out the talent on the roster now with fewer additions than a full on rebuild would provide. There's also more of a chance we can limit an initial deal to 3 or at most 4 years. If Fields and his offense aren't fully developed and able to keep the Bears solidly in playoff contention each year by 2023-24 it will be time to consider yet another change. I don't care who he is I'm very much opposed to hiring a new HC with a 5 year or longer deal and many can demand that. Edited December 12, 2021 by soulman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugashane Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 A lot of the same comparisons were made when Joe Judge was up for the Giants job. Been in a winning culture, been up for 3 or 4 Super Bowls, etc. Toub is an interview I'd be fine with but who he has as coordinators would be key to being in the running further. Im not taking anyone as an OC who was under Reid. Toub should have pretty good connections through the league though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abstract_thought Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 I would worry about Toub building a staff because the Bears need to replace both coordinators. It's hard to say who Toub would tab as DC. Marinelli is now 72 years-old. Babich might be an option. Otherwise the guys he's worked with are pretty far off the radar. And Toub certainly didn't work with any great OCs during his time in Chicago. So we're left to the Reid tree which means no strong shift in offensive philosophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 7 hours ago, Sugashane said: Toub is an interview I'd be fine with but who he has as coordinators would be key to being in the running further. We're in lock step here. IMHO it is not the job of a HC to develop his QB. That task goes to his OC and QB coach under his direction. So yeah, how well Toub can attract the proper staff is paramount to his value as the HC. I'm sure that would be explored. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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