Bear Digest

Bears schedule interview with top head coaching candidate Mike Vrabel

The last time the Bears hired a defensive -minded head coach, it didn't work out. But that shouldn't frighten them away from one of the best available candidates this offseason.

Pete Martuneac

Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The long-expected interview for the Chicago Bears' open head coaching position was confirmed on Tuesday morning. Mike Vrabel, who coached the Tennessee Titans from 2018 through 2023, will interview with the Bears on Wednesday.

Ian Rappaport notes that the general consensus has been that Vrabel will land the Patriots job. New England fired Jerod Mayo on Monday. But this will be the second interview he's taken with a different organization: first the Jets, now the Bears.

Vrabel might be the 'leader of men' that team president Kevin Warren is looking for.

Despite being defensive-minded, Vrabel is a highly regarded coach in the NFL, and his firing from Tennessee came as a bit of a shock. Most Bears fans may prefer an offensive-minded head coach to pair with ascending quarterback Caleb Williams, but if Vrabel ends up being the guy, it's hard to fault the Bears for that. He has head coaching experience and can be the kind of culture setter the players have openly demanded.

Of course, it's fair for the fans to be skeptical. The Bears have an incredibly poor track record when it comes to hiring head coaches. Waiting to see results on the field before getting excited is a reasonable take.

The Bears also added one more interview to their docket late Monday . They requested an interview with David Shaw, the former head coach of Stanford and current executive for the Broncos. This one came as a surprise, but like Vrabel, it's hard to argue with his resume. Shaw was the head coach at Stanford for 11 years and compiled a 65-40 coaching record while there, including three conference titles. .

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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