Why John Fox Would Be the Right Coach at the Right Time for Chicago Bears
Published by Zach Kruse on January 15, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears appear to be closing in on the right head coach at the right time.
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, the next coaching domino to fall is former Denver Broncos head coach John Fox, who is expected to become the 15th head coach in Bears history. The yet to be completed deal is likely to be finished within the next few days, per Cole’s source.
Fox, 59, has been considered the front-runner for Chicago’s opening since he and the Broncos went separate ways following Denver’s divisional-round loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
The Broncos’ throwaway could be Chicago’s treasure.
Given his experience rebuilding franchises and working with various quarterbacks—in addition to his standing in the NFL landscape and knowledge of defense—Fox figures to be an ideal candidate to lead the currently constructed Bears back to relevancy.
Make no mistake about it: Chicago is entering a period of rebuild. The Bears require a nearly complete overhaul on defense, with precious few building blocks on the roster and veteran leaders such as linebacker Lance Briggs and cornerback Charles Tillman unlikely to return in 2015. On offense, the futures of quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Brandon Marshall remain on shaky ground, and a whole new system needs to be put in place.
Fox is no stranger to building from the ground up.
As a 47-year-old first-time head coach, Fox took over the Carolina Panthers after a 1-15 season in 2001 and improved the club to 7-9 in 2002. Carolina finished 11-5 and won the NFC the next season in 2003, only to have Tom Brady, Adam Vinatieri and the New England Patriots steal away a Super Bowl win. In just two short years, Carolina went from being a laughingstock to nearly hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Over Fox’s nine years, the Panthers made the postseason three times and finished with fewer than seven wins just once.
His rebuild in Denver took a slightly different path. But once again, Fox brought immediate improvement in the win column.
After a 4-12 season in 2010, the Broncos finished 8-8 and won the AFC West in 2011—Fox’s first year in Denver. After Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos the next spring, Fox would go on to win 38 of his next 48 regular-season games. Denver won four division titles in Fox’s four seasons and represented the AFC in the Super Bowl in 2013.
Overall, Fox has helped produce six different years with improvements of at least four wins. A four-win improvement for the Bears in 2015 (from 5-11 to 9-7) would give Chicago its most wins in a season since 2012.
Much of the progress will depend on how Fox and Cutler work together. But throughout his 13 years as an NFL head coach, Fox has dealt with pretty much every quarterback on the spectrum.
He won a number of games in Carolina with Jake Delhomme, a mercurial, turnover-prone quarterback like Cutler. Delhomme’s passer rating over seven seasons with the Panthers was just 82.6, but Carolina still won 53 of his 90 starts.
Fox then pulled off the impossible, turning Tim Tebow into a starting quarterback for a postseason qualifier. Denver even won a game in the playoffs, giving a Tebow-led club one more postseason win than the Bears have over the last four years. While the Broncos were just 8-8 and won a bad division, Fox’s 2011 season stands out as one of the more impressive coaching jobs of recent memory in the NFL.
Bottom line: If Fox can get teams with Delhomme and Tebow to the playoffs, he can certainly do the same with a vastly more talented quarterback in Cutler.
At the very least, expect Fox to bring in high-quality assistants to help whoever is under center for the Bears next season.
Also, it probably didn’t hurt Fox to spend the last three seasons working alongside Manning, arguably the most prepared player ever at the quarterback position.
But even if Fox can’t coax the best out of Cutler, expect his locker room to be in a better shape than the one left by Marc Trestman.
Respect can be earned many ways in the NFL, but nothing demands it more than wins and experience. Fox has plenty of both: 119 regular-season wins, six playoff appearances, eight postseason victories and two conference titles over 13 years as an NFL head coach. And he has another seven years of experience and a Super Bowl trip as a coordinator.
Coaches don’t last that long and win that often without knowing how to manage a locker room and all the egos and personalities inside it.
Fox also fits the necessary profile of a defensive-minded coach. The city of Chicago almost requires it, given the franchise’s long history of great defense and the recent implosions on that side of the football.
The Bears finished the last two seasons ranked 30th and 31st in scoring defense, respectively. Fox and his experience might bring a fix.
Over Fox’s five years as the Giants defensive coordinator, New York finished in the top 10 in points allowed three times. His defensive work in Carolina turned around the Panthers, who went eight straight years ranking in the top 15 for scoring defense, including four times in the top 10.
Results showed up again in Denver, where the defense carried the Broncos into the postseason in 2011. Fox’s defense also ranked second in yards and fourth in points allowed in 2012, and third in yards allowed in 2014.
Overall, Fox has been the defensive coordinator or head coach of a team for 20 seasons. His defenses have ranked in the top 16 in points allowed 15 times.
It will be on new general manager Ryan Pace to give Fox the right pieces to be successful, but his track record speaks for itself. Almost immediate improvement on defense would be assumed.
The only question now is if the Bears could have asked for a better coaching candidate to fall right into their laps.
Fox is experienced, versatile, respected and defensive-minded. He has wins, playoff appearances and conference titles. He’s worked with a broad spectrum of quarterbacks and consistently gets the most out of his defense.
Best yet, Fox is available—but only for so long.
The Bears appear ready to hire the right guy for Chicago’s trek back to relevancy.
Zach Kruse covers the NFC North for Bleacher Report.
Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
