Sean Desai Shows He Has Connections After All

Hirings at linebacker show new Bears defensive coordinator has been around enough to know people who can help the defense

One of the concerns about Sean Desai when the Bears named him defensive coordinator was whether he would be well-connected enough within the NFL to help bring in needed defensive assisants at vacant positions.

After all, Desai came out of college football to the Bears in 2013 and had been in Chicago ever since.

It hasn't proven a concern at the two linebacker coaching positions. He hired two longtime colleagues, including one who already was with the Bears.

The team on Friday confirmed Desai simply promoted Bill Shuey to outside linebackers coach to replace Ted Monachino, who has gone to Atlanta. 

On Thursday, the Bears hired another coach he'd known since 2012 as inside linebackers coach, former Giants and Eagles assistant Bill McGovern. He replaces Mark DeLeone, who went to Detroit.

Shuey has been on the Bears staff with Desai since 2018 and last year was already helping coach linebackers. Shuey was a defensive pass analyst/assistant linebackers coach. He started out with the Bears as a quality control coach on the defensive side under Vic Fangio in 2018 and helped work with the defensive line, inside linebackers and special teams, as well.

Shuey was on coach Andy Reid's staff in Philadelphia with Bears coach Matt Nagy and spent 10 years with the Eagles under defensive coordinators Jim Johnson and Sean McDermott. He was a linebackers coach three years with the Eagles when they made the NFC championship game in 2008. He also had been an offensive assistant with the Eagles under coordinators Brad Childress and Marty Mornhinweg.

McGovern and Desai were at Boston College together in 2012, Desai as running backs coach and special teams coordinator and McGovern as defensive coordinator.

McGovern had a long stay at Boston College, from 2000-12. He was the defensive coordinator from 2009-12 and from 2000-2008 was linebackers coach. He was with the Giants as linebackers coach from 2016-19 under head coaches Ben McAdoo, Steve Spagnuolo and Pat Shurmur and broke into the NFL as outside linebackers coach with the Eagles under Chip Kelly from 2013-15. 

Last year McGovern wasn't in the NFL and was a defensive advisor at Nebraska.

McGovern had been in college football from 1985-2012. He was at Pittsburgh as a defensive backs coach from 1997-99, had a first stint with Boston College as DB coach from 1994-96 and was also a defensive backs coach at UMass from 1988-1990. With Holy Cross, he was a defensive backs and kickers coach from 1991-92. McGovern had his first experience as a defensive coordinator for Holy Cross in 1993.

The Bears could still possibly fill the safeties job Desai had before his promotion or hire an assisant defensive backs coach.

They'll then turn to the offensive side, where they need a running backs coach and possibly a passing game coordinator.

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