Bears coaching search: New details emerge from Albert Breer

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for a wide-ranging search for their new head coach, where they'll be looking for someone who can turn the locker room around while also develop quarterback Caleb Williams.

Following the firing of Matt Eberflus after poor management cost the team another win, the Bears are now approaching what's one of the most important offseasons in recent memory.

NFL insider Albert Breer has his pulse on the Bears amid their coaching search, and he shared a new in-depth look at where the organization is right now. What are they looking for, who will run the search and who are the prime contenders? We broke it down.

What the Bears are looking for in a head coach

Following Eberflus' firing, president Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles explained that they were looking for a "leader of men" type of head coach to fix what's become a broken locker room culture. According to Breer, that stance has changed just a little bit. And the importance of developing Caleb Williams is a big reason for that.

"One thing that was emphasized to me over the past week was that if that 'leader of men' wasn’t specifically a quarterbacks guy, then he’d have to have a very clear and sustainable plan for the quarterback," Breer wrote.

Who will run the Bears' coaching search

There's been plenty of speculation about Poles' future as GM beyond this season. And even if he survives his third straight losing season, how involved will he be in the search for the new head coach? According to Breer, the involvement of Warren in this process is going to be the biggest question among candidates, to which the McCaskey family is aware.

"To that end, GM Ryan Poles is set up to run point on the search, and I’m told it’s because that’s the way ownership wants it," Breer said. "Warren will have a seat at the table and a major say, of course. But Poles will, too, as the McCaskeys seek alignment on the football operations side."

Who are the prime candidates for Bears head coach?

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been linked to Chicago for some time, and he appears to be the early front runner. While Breer believes Johnson would've been near the top of his list last year, he admitted it's "probably more wait-and-see" this year as he'll be more selective when taking interviews. Although, Breer does believe Johnson will interview with the Bears. For what it's worth, Johnson is "seeking alignment with a GM and an ownership group willing to identify and fix its mistakes." Whether that's with Chicago remains to be seen.

Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and current Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are those "leader-of-men" types who could fit that mold in Chicago. According to Breer, "I think the experience of both as players and Vrabel’s as a head coach and Glenn’s in the NFC North, would be pluses. But both will have to have quarterback plans, as we said."

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is another name that's been connected to the Bears given his connection to Williams, who he worked with at USC in 2023 and is quite familiar with what Williams does well and what he needs to work on. Kingsbury, who also coached Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech, told Breet back in 2023 that "parallels between the Chiefs' QB and Williams are 'eerie.'" Kingsbury is also another experienced contender having coached at the collegiate (Texas Tech) and NFL (Arizona Cardinals). The Bears previously interviewed Kingsbury for the offensive coordinator job, so there's a familiarity there.

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is another notable name that's floating around for Chicago's vacancy. Flores played football at Boston College with Poles in 2003, and there's a connection with the Bill Belichick system. According to Breer, "Warren’s vetting of Flores with all his old connections in Minnesota (Warren worked for the Vikings for 15 years) yielded strong reviews for the 43-year-old." The key for Flores will be laying out a plan for how things would be different with Williams than how things transpired with Tua Tagovailoa in Miami.

Interestingly enough, Breer noted that Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown will get a look at the job. While you would assume that wouldn't be the case given his 0-4 record since taking over for Eberflus, Breer said the organization "has sympathy for the challenge he’s faced, going from pass-game coordinator (where he wasn’t even running a position group) to interim OC to interim head coach in November."

Pete Carroll is a relatively new name now linked to the head coach search, where his resume speaks for itself. The former Seattle Seahawks head coach led his team to two Super Bowls, one Super Bowl championship and 10 playoff appearances. While Carroll's age (73) might be a concern, Breer notes the Bears would at least like to sit down and talk with him. While there's been a reported mutual interest between Carroll and the Bears, the Chicago job isn't the only one he'll be exploring.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears coaching search: New details emerge from Albert Breer