Say what you will about Bears head coach Matt Nagy. While he’s not a good coach, the same can’t be said about his character. Which actually makes Nagy’s incompetence as a head coach all the more frustrating considering he’s been a great person. You can almost see why George McCaskey wanted so badly for things to work out with Nagy.
Nagy has been on the chopping block for the last month-plus at this point, but he’s remained professional in every sense of the word. Whether that’s in how he handles the media, who have been asking him about his job since Thanksgiving, or his relationship with his players, who continue to fight for him on the football field.
While Jacksonville’s Urban Meyer went out with a whimper and Minnesota’s Mike Zimmer just doesn’t seem to give a damn, Nagy is approaching things as if his job is still promised beyond 2021. Even though we all know, including Nagy, that it’s not.
This is the coldest thing I’ve ever heard from a coach. My goodness. pic.twitter.com/0FaufxxoQw
— Ian Kenyon (@IanKenyonNFL) January 3, 2022
Following Sunday’s dominating win over the Giants, Nagy was asked about possibly coaching his last home game with the Bears.
“For me, I take it day by day,” Nagy said. “If it goes that way, it’s meant to be.”
Nagy sounded like a man resigned to his fate. But he still cares. It’s evident in just this past week alone, where Nagy honored the late Jeff Dickerson, who succumbed to colon cancer, donated $7,600 for Dickerson’s son and how Nagy used a timeout to celebrate Robert Quinn’s historic 18th sack.
And the thing is, it’s not an act. For the last four years, we’ve seen the person Nagy is. While we don’t necessarily agree with his decision-making — including his handling of Justin Fields and his failure to prioritize rookies as the season draws to a close — it’s not done in bad faith. Nagy’s just not good at his job.
That’s what’s been the difference between Nagy and another infamous Bears failure, Marc Trestman. Nagy hasn’t lost the locker room, amid what’s been a miserable season. And even as his fellow coaches and players know what awaits Nagy after next Sunday’s finale, Nagy continues to focus on his team and his team alone.
Unfortunately, being a head coach is about more than just having good character, it’s about being a good head coach. Let’s hope for all our sakes that Nagy’s replacement is both.
