Former New York Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher recently acknowledged that he was anxious to return to an NFL sideline, and apparently there were a whole bunch of teams waiting to hear that.
“Some people say I’m not defined by what I do, but I’m a little bit different from that standpoint,” Bettcher said during an ESPN interview earlier this month. “I want my kids to know their dreams, chase them.
“What I do is highly important to me. It matters that my kids see that … whatever you decide to do in life, I hope it matters to you. I miss it. Miss it a ton.”
Less than two weeks after those words left the lips of Bettcher, he found himself in Chicago interviewing for the Bears’ vacant defensive coordinator position.
However, Bettcher’s Bears interview could have been taken with a grain of salt. After all, he had acted as a consultant for Chicago in 2020 and had built some in-house relationships. But as it turns out, the Bears aren’t the only team interested.
Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports that multiple teams have expressed an interest in Bettcher and that additional interviews are likely.
I'm hearing there are more teams that want to talk with James Bettcher this week about vacancies. #Giants https://t.co/G48qfkEeY4
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) January 20, 2021
The 42-year-old Bettcher has an extensive resume dating back to his time as special teams coordinator and defensive line coach for Saint Francis (IN) in 2004-2005. At the NFL level, he’s coached outside linebackers for both the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals, while serving as defensive coordinator in Arizona and New York.
During his time running the defense in Arizona, Bettcher and his vision began to shine. However, the personnel was lacking upon his arrival in New York and when Pat Shurmur was fired as head coach, Bettcher soon followed him out the door. He was eventually replaced by Patrick Graham, a Joe Judge hire.
