Bears Assistant Has Experience Beating Packers

New Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower not only has experience being on Chicago's staff but also at beating the Green Bay Packers.

USA Today

The Bears didn't get the special teams coordinator they were targeting.

Instead, they got one who has experience beating the Green Bay Packers and just did it in the playoffs.

The Bears announced the hiring of Richard Hightower as special teams coordinator. Like former Bears special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, Hightower once served as an assistant special teams coach for the Bears. He did it in 2016 under Jeff Rodgers for one season.

Hightower was the special teams coordinator for the 49ers from 2017 through last season and was in charge when they blocked a punt to score the tying touchdown, then later won it on a Robbie Gould 45-yard field goal in overtime, 13-10, during the NFC divisional playoffs.

Hightower's 49ers special teams did not rank high in the Rick Gosselin special teams ratings for 2021, the system used to determine overall special team strength. They were 25th.

Under Hightower, punter Mitch Wishnowsky was both an NFC special teams player of the month and a player of the week in 2021. Wishnowsky and special teams coverage player Trenton Cannon were Pro Bowl alternates. The 49ers ranked second in the NFL from 2017-20 in limiting punt returns with a 6.2-yard average.

With Gould as their kicker, Hightower's 49ers teams from 2017-20 tied for second in the NFL in field goal percentage (88.6%) and made field goals (124).

Hightower has been coaching in the NFL since 2006 with Houston. He also coached in Washington and Cleveland.

The Bears were reportedly interested in Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia as their new special teams coordinator but he had pursued a head coaching job and now is rumored to be a possible new special teams coach for the special teams-challenged Packers. 

Bisaccia had worked on the Dallas staff alongside new Bears coach Matt Eberflus.

Gotta say, I like the staff that Matt Eberflus is putting together for the Bears

— Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) February 6, 2022

Bears Staff to Date

Head coach: Matt Eberflus

Defensive coordinator: Alan Williams

Offensive coordinator: Luke Getsy

Special Teams coordinator: Richard Hightower

Quarterbacks coach: Andrew Janocko

Wide Receivers coach: Tyke Tolbert

Offensive Line coach: Chris Morgan

Linebackers coach: Dave Borgonzi

Defensive Backs coach: James Rowe

Assistant Defensive Backs coach: David Overstreet II

Defensive Line coach: ?

Tight Ends coach: ?

Running Backs coach: ?

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