Bear Digest

Bears Coaching Search Tracker: Rumor Mill Turns Up Familiar Face

Mike McCarthy has beaten a handful of Bears coaches over the years with Green Bay and Dallas and according to a report could be a candidate for Chicago in the future.

Gene Chamberlain

Mike McCarthy used to beat up on the Bears regularly with Green Bay whether he was facing John Fox, Matt Nagy or Marc Trestman, and now rumors say he might want to coach in Chicago.
Mike McCarthy used to beat up on the Bears regularly with Green Bay whether he was facing John Fox, Matt Nagy or Marc Trestman, and now rumors say he might want to coach in Chicago. / Dennis Wierzbicki-Imagn Images
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The Bears coaching search will not officially begin until after the Bears and Packers have completed the NFL season Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Until then it exists only in the shadows—the rumor mill.

Thursday's best rumor was from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and was in regards to Dallas coach Mike McCarthy. Fowler reports McCarthy would throw his hat into the Bears ring if no contract is signed with Jerry Jones in Dallas. McCarthy has been coaching on a contract that expires after this season, a real rarity in the NFL these days.

There hasn't been one sourced report yet saying the Bears definitely will inteview a specific candidate for the job and it's unlikely anything will get beyond rumors until after Sunday’s game but before they are allowed to start their interviews with attached coaches on Jan. 8.

All the talk about Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Pete Carroll, McCarthy, Brian Flores and others so far is speculation. They can't talk to these candidates until the season ends or face tampering charges.

However, a potential candidate who is not in football now is always a possible interview.  Vrabel’s contract with Cleveland as an advisor has expired and he is eligible to be interviewed.

ESPN's Adam Schefter on Christmas reported former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has "expressed interest in the Bears HC job." Carroll is 73 years old, older than Bill Belichick. They could talk to him any time since he’s not coaching.

There have been several reports within the past few days indicating the possibility Bears and Flores could be in touch when teams are allowed to set up and interview candidates. The same was said about Johnson a week and a half ago.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network said sources led him to believe Johnson would have an interest in talking to the Bears about their job. ESPN's Courtney Cronin credited a source with saying the Bears will want to talk with Johnson.

Breer reported interest by the Bears in Flores, the former Dolphins coach and current Vikings defensive coordinator. His tie to Ryan Poles from one year together in the Boston College football program and through Kevin Warren's decade and a half with the Vikings are strong elements.

The Bears have been getting everything in order for their search now, talking to people who know potential candidates.

A process described by president Kevin Warren put GM Ryan Poles in the driver's seat, although it's going to need Warren's approval and ultimately George McCaskey will have a chance to weigh in on it. This was the process first announced by Warren after Matt Eberflus’ firing and it was recently on described by Breer in a report.

REPORT: BEARS HAVE INTEREST IN INTERVIEWING KLIFF KINGSBURY

BEARS LAY OUT ROAD AHEAD FOR CALEB WILLIAMS' IMPROVEMENT

WHY BEARS JOB MAY NOT BE AS COVETED AS THEY THINK IT IS

STAIN FROM 2024 BEARS FAILURE CAN'T BENEFIT RYAN POLES' CAUSE

It was never made clear whether they'll be using a search firm of any type to either come up with their list or for any other aspect, although Poles’ comments seemed to indicate otherwise

“We are going to lean on both of us and our entire organization, everyone in that think tank and make sure we make the best decision,” Poles said.

Here's what the rumor mill has churned up and it will be updated.

Bears Coaching Rumor Mill

REPORT: BEARS HAVE INTEREST IN INTERVIEWING KLIFF KINGSBURY

BREER: NFL COACHING CAROUSEL 2005 WHO COULD GET HIRED AND WHERE

WHY THE BEARS JOB MIGHT NOT BE AS COVETED AS THEY THINK IT IS

SHIFTING INSIDER FOCUS FOCUSES ON TWO CANDIDATES

NFL NETWORK REPORT SAYS BEN JOHNSON WOULD BE INTERESTED

THE LOWDOWN ON COORDINATOR BEN JOHNSON RELATIVE TO THE BEARS

BEN JOHNSON ADMITS TO BEING IMPRESSED WITH CALEB WILLIAMS' ARM

BREER: BEN JOHNSON CRITERIA FOR POTENTIAL COACHING OPPORTUNITIES

WHO SHOULD BE REALLY HIGH ON BEARS LIST OF CANDIDATES

WHY HIRING BEN JOHNSON WOULDN'T MEAN HIRING MATT NAGY 2

INSIDER'S TAKE POINTS BEARS MORE TO MIKE VRABEL

WEEKEND WITHOUT A BEARS GAME PUT POTENTIAL COACHES ON DISPLAY

CONOR ORR: TOP CANDIDATES LIST FOR BEARS HEAD COACHING JOB

THE PROBLEMS WITH JOE BRADY AS BETTING FAVORITE FOR BEARS COACH

WHY LIAM COEN DESERVES THOROUGH CONSIDERATION FOR BEARS COACH

WHO BILL BELICHICK'S CONFIDANTS SAW AS THE LIKELY BEARS COACH

FORMER CARDINALS COACH RUMORED TO BE BEARS POTENTIAL CANDIDATE

WHY THOMAS BROWN RATES A SOLID CHANCE TO RETAIN BEARS COACHING JOB

NFL RULES FOR CONDUCTING COACHING SEARCH: WHY NOTHING WILL HAPPEN YET

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.