Dec. 31--With the Chicago Bears in Day 3 of their quest to find a general manager and head coach, it has become apparent they are motivated to make progress on both fronts simultaneously.
The Bears have arranged an interview with Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase in Denver this week and the NFL Network reports the team will interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on Friday. The Bears also have sought permission to meet with Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, but the soonest that can happen is next week as his team has a wild-card round playoff game at Carolina on Saturday.
If the Bears ultimately would prefer to have a general manager in place first, why spend time traveling around the country to meet with potential coaching candidates, as well?
The decision makes a lot of sense. In the case of Gase and Quinn, if their teams advance to the Super Bowl as they did last year, the Bears have to sit down for an initial interview this week or wait until the that coach's team is done playing. Failing to have a meeting with Gase or Quinn this week could potentially eliminate the Bears from the mix.
"The conventional timeline is to hire the general manager first," chairman of the board George McCaskey said Monday when announcing sweeping changes in the organization. "But (consultant) Ernie (Accorsi) has already advised us that if we see the right guy out there as a head coach we need to be prepared to move quickly to get him."
It's unlikely McCaskey, president Ted Phillips and Accorsi would force a coach on a GM that is hired between, say, now and the end of the Super Bowl. But they could say, 'Hey, we met with this candidate during his team's bye week and were impressed with him for these reasons, we think it would be worth you visiting with him as well.'"
By getting an initial interview in this week, the Bears are positioned for a potential second interview during the extra week leading up to the Super Bowl. Assistants on teams participating in the Super Bowl are accessible for a second interview during the week immediately following the conference championship games. They are not eligible for initial interviews that week. So, if the Bears have a GM in place by then, they could double back to meet with Gase and/or Quinn again that week if the Broncos and/or Seahawks are in the Super Bowl.
It's highly unlikely a coaching candidate such as Gase or Quinn would sign on with the Bears before they knew who the GM was. But the opportunity to meet with upper management will provide them with some insight on the franchise, its hierarchy and goals, and help them shape their own personal pecking order as multiple teams are pursuing them.
The situation is similar with Bowles. If the Cardinals win, he's available for initial interviews next week. After that, a team that wants a second interview could do so after the conference championship games. So, getting in quickly is a must in the event Arizona rolls off a win or two in the playoffs.
Of the five teams in the hunt for a new coach, the Jets are the only other one also looking to hire a GM. The dual search certainly has its complexities and the good sign is the Bears are taking action.
"I look at it less of a challenge and more of an opportunity to bring the Bears back to greatness," Phillips said Monday. "That's the goal."
