Bears Got Their Men but Lost $3 to the City

Bears board chairman George McCaskey and the hiring committee went through a whirlwind of interviewing 23 candidates for head coach and GM, not to mention driving to the airport to give Ryan Poles a ride.

Bears board chairman George McCaskey emerged from about 2 1/2 weeks worth of work down $3 but with a general manager and new coach in tow.

The coach wasn't Jim Harbaugh, and Bears fans have seemed perplexed why the team didn't pursue one of their team's first-round draft picks as coach when he now is being considered by Minnesota and Miami.

"After each of the interviews that we conducted, we released a statement confirming we had spoken to that candidate," McCaskey said. "We're not going to engage in speculation about what other candidates could have been interviewed or might have been interviewed."

Nor did the Bears want the terms of contracts for both new coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles released to the public.

"Yeah, we thought about it," McCaskey said. "We talked about it, and talked to Matt and Ryan about what their preference was, and their preference that it not be disclosed, and we're honoring that preference."

There's more to this than McCaskey let on because the Bears had normally reased length of contracts in past years but over the past few years have sought to cover up the contract terms of their coach and GM.

"I think as an organization, it's just out of respect for the individual," McCaskey added. "That's a private matter and if the individual wishes to make it public, they're welcome to, but I don't think that's the Bears' place."

McCaskey was only slightly more forthcoming with information about why the selection process changed.

At the outset of the search for replacements, McCaskey said he would make the final decision on hirings but then the five-person hiring committee designated Poles as their decision-maker for head coach and he interviewed all three finalists before making the coaching hire of Matt Eberflus.

"I told Ryan that I was fine with any of the three finalist candidates that he wanted to interview and it's his decision," McCaskey said, without volunteering why.

It didn't hurt that the search committee, headed up by former Colts GM Bill Polian, had come up with names Poles liked.

"Yeah, that was an important consideration for us," McCaskey said. "We wanted that partnership to be solid. That's so important, for us to get the results that we want, for that partnership to work. When we interviewed Matt一and then I'm not sure exactly what the order was一but when Ryan mentioned that Matt was on his list, that was significant to us."

Polian and the committee had to squeeze three interviews into one day, which McCaskey labeled a real "slog," and he joked about Polian bringing back "two-a-days."

"I would say the best part of the interviews一and Ryan and Matt both mentioned it一was, when Bill Polian’s talking football with a general manager candidate, or a head coaching candidate, all you can do is sit back and soak up the knowledge," McCaskey said. "It was an exciting and educational opportunity for us."

Perhaps no other aspect of the job search than so caught the imagination of Bears fans as McCaskey driving out to O'Hare Airport on a cold winter's night to pick up Poles himself at the arrival gate. The owner of the Bears didn't send a driver?

"I think every experience has its benefits," McCaskey said. "Hopefully you're learning from the experiences, both positive and negative.

"That helps frame your reference in the selection process. Yes, I drived, parked in the garage, White Sox level. Three bucks to the city."

There was a purpose for the warm welcome.
"I wanted to show him that we care," McCaskey said. "I wanted he and I to have the opportunity to speak one-on-one. And I wanted him to have the opportunity to see Halas Hall if he wanted, which he did."

For their efforts and expense, the Bears have a head coach and GM, and McCaskey couldn't help but express optimism they found the right candidates, although there was that whole Ryan and Matt thing right after they just fired Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy working the same positions.

McCaskey feigned being totally clueless when someone brought this up and stirred up some laughs.

He added of the new coach and GM, "I think you saw the qualities they display. Those are the qualities we're excited about."

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