The wait is finally over in Chicago, as after firing head coach Matt Eberflus mid-season, the Bears have hired Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be the franchise’s next head coach. Perceived by many as the top coaching target this cycle, Johnson will stay within the division with the Bears and work alongside 2024 first-overall pick Caleb Williams as he looks to bring the franchise back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Now that Johnson is in charge in Chicago, he’ll be tasked with building out his coaching staff for the 2025 season and beyond. Known for his playcalling while with Detroit, the team’s next offensive coordinator will likely be one who sees the same schematically as Johnson. A recent report indicated that a former top collegiate coach could be taking on that role.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that former Stanford Cardinals head coach David Shaw was interviewed for the Bears offensive coordinator position. While at Stanford, Shaw earned four Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors. His best season came in 2015 when the Cardinals finished third in the final AP Poll.
In his first year as head coach with Stanford, he led the Cardinal offense to the seventh-best mark nationally in points with 43.2 per game. In addition, he helped Andrew Luck finish second in Heisman voting with 39 total touchdowns.
Factor in the plethora of high-level offensive talents he coached while at Stanford including Christian McCaffrey, Bryce Love, Ty Montgomery, and Zach Ertz, Shaw has a proven track record of getting top production out of offensive players.
While other candidates will be considered for the position, earning the role with the Chicago Bears would be a return to coaching for Shaw, as he spent this past season as a Senior personnel executive on the Denver Broncos.
