The Bears want a coach who holds gamers accountable. Look no additional than Ron Rivera

In 1982, George Halas reached into Chicago Bears historical past to discover a head coach and employed Mike Ditka.

In 2025, the workforce Halas based wants to think about its historical past once more.

There are candidates with no ties to the Bears who deserve consideration.

Foremost amongst them is Mike Vrabel, who by no means ought to have been fired by the Tennessee Titans and might win Tremendous Bowls — plural — in the best state of affairs. If Ben Johnson of the Detroit Lions is as dazzling as a head coach as he’s as an offensive coordinator, he’ll remodel a company. His defensive counterpart in Detroit, Aaron Glenn, appears to have management and training qualities that few have. Steve Spagnuolo’s lengthy historical past of constructing defenses and relationships could also be proof he may thrive with a second probability. The best way Joe Brady has simply lifted the Buffalo Payments offense suggests he can deal with extra plates on the bar.

And there are others. Possibly within the closing evaluation, certainly one of them is greatest fitted to the job.

Nevertheless, just one individual has had a soccer function on each Bears Tremendous Bowl groups. Ron Rivera was a linebacker on the 1985 champions. On the 2006 Bears that misplaced to the Indianapolis Colts, he was their defensive coordinator.

Now he ought to be first in line to interview.

Rivera’s 2006 protection allowed the third-fewest factors within the NFL. With out justification, he was fired after that season, and the Bears took a chilly plunge. Within the 19 seasons since, they’ve made the playoffs thrice and have a .439 profitable proportion.

Drafted by Jim Finks, constructed up by Ditka and mentored by Mike Singletary, Rivera, greater than any potential candidate, comprehends what it means to be a Bear. He is aware of the place Chicago’s potholes are. He understands the organizational strengths and limitations, the fan base and the native media.

There isn’t a doubt Halas would have endorsed interviewing Rivera. Identical for Walter Payton, who sat throughout from Rivera on airplane rides to and from video games.

Ditka was not the one former Bears participant to change into their coach. Of their first 54 years, each certainly one of their coaches besides Ralph Jones was a former participant for the workforce. Halas himself performed for the Bears. The opposite Bears gamers who turned the franchise’s head coach have been Luke Johnsos, Hunk Anderson, Paddy Driscoll, Jim Dooley and Abe Gibron.

The Bears have been criticized — justifiably — for not contemplating former Bear Jim Harbaugh as a head teaching candidate. Ignoring Rivera could be making an identical mistake.

Historical past will not be the one cause Rivera ought to be thought of. Like Harbaugh, Rivera is a confirmed teaching commodity. His teaching journey started humbly as a high quality management coach for his Bears in 1997. Two years later, he went to work for Andy Reid in Philadelphia as a linebackers coach earlier than returning to Chicago to coordinate the protection in 2004.

Ron Rivera returned to the Bears as defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2006. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Photos)

When he was head coach of the Carolina Panthers, Rivera’s groups made it to the playoffs 4 occasions and the Tremendous Bowl as soon as. He was voted coach of the yr twice, which makes him certainly one of 13 to be honored greater than as soon as. Seven of the 13 are within the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame, with Halas and Ditka amongst them.

After new Panthers proprietor David Tepper fired him in 2019, Rivera was unemployed for lower than a month when he agreed to steer Dan Snyder’s Washington Redskins, who turned the Soccer Group after which the Commanders in Rivera’s tumultuous tenure as their coach. And he wasn’t simply their coach. He was their de facto normal supervisor. Then he turned Snyder’s frontman/protect when office tradition transgressions and monetary improprieties got here to gentle and Snyder went underground.

Rivera arguably was probably the most sought-after coach within the 2020 cycle. The 4 regrettable years he spent with Snyder, arguably the worst proprietor within the NFL’s historical past, modified perceptions. Rivera was not the primary to have his fame diminished by the affiliation.

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In his tenure with Washington earlier than Snyder, the nice Joe Gibbs gained 67 % of his video games and three Tremendous Bowls. After retiring and returning with Snyder as proprietor, he went 30-34. As a university coach, Steve Spurrier gained 71 % of his video games and a nationwide championship. With Snyder, he gained 37 % of his video games. Mike Shanahan, who ought to be on his solution to the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame, had a .598 profession profitable proportion and two Tremendous Bowl rings as a head coach earlier than partnering with Snyder. In Washington, his profitable proportion was .375.

Rivera’s profitable proportion earlier than Snyder was .546, one proportion level higher than Vrabel’s. In Washington, it was .396.

Some will query if a defensive-minded coach like Rivera is true for the Bears due to the presence of quarterback Caleb Williams, as if a coach with out an offensive background ought to be disqualified. Hiring a head coach with one participant in thoughts when 53 have to be led is an absurdity.

Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, John Madden, Don Shula, George Allen, Invoice Parcells, Marv Levy, Dick Vermeil, Tony Dungy, Invoice Cowher and Jimmy Johnson have busts within the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame. Virtually assuredly on their solution to Canton are Invoice Belichick, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin. None of them had offensive backgrounds earlier than turning into head coaches.

In 2011, when Rivera was employed in Carolina, there have been comparable issues about his capability to deal with an offense. With the primary choose within the draft, the workforce selected a quarterback, Cam Newton. Rivera despatched offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, quarterbacks coach Mike Shula and offensive high quality management coach Scott Turner to Auburn to fulfill with the varsity’s offensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn, and attempt to perceive what Malzahn did with Newton in serving to him win a nationwide championship and Heisman Trophy.

Panthers coaches applied ideas Newton succeeded with at Auburn, together with RPO performs that weren’t extensively used on the time. Newton was named offensive rookie of the yr. 4 years later, Newton was voted the NFL’s most useful participant — whereas enjoying for a defensive-minded coach.

Rivera connects with gamers. He earns respect with authenticity, class and toughness. And apparently, these Bears want a coach who will maintain gamers accountable.

The yr after Newton was the league’s MVP, Rivera benched him as a result of he refused to comply with a workforce rule requiring gamers to put on ties on the airplane. When Newton confirmed up tieless, Rivera tried to offer him a tie to put on. Newton mentioned it didn’t match his outfit. Rivera informed him there could be repercussions, and Newton subsequently was held out the primary sequence of a recreation. Newton later apologized to the workforce.

Rivera, who realized about aggressive methods from Buddy Ryan and his Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, by no means has been afraid to take an opportunity. Earlier than they referred to as the pinnacle coach of the Lions Dan “Gamble,” they referred to as Rivera “Riverboat Ron.”

In his first coaching camp in Washington, Rivera was identified with squamous cell most cancers in a lymph node. That season, he had 35 proton remedy therapies and three chemotherapy therapies. Rivera misplaced 25 kilos and grew so weak he needed to be introduced into the workplace with one arm round his spouse’s shoulder and one across the workforce coach’s. He by no means stopped teaching and main, although, and his workforce rallied, profitable 5 of its final seven video games to make the playoffs.

Rivera ultimately rang the bell and is cancer-free. For his perseverance, the Professional Soccer Writers of America voted him the recipient of the George Halas Award, which is given for overcoming adversity.

The importance of Rivera profitable the award named after the founding father of the Bears shouldn’t be misplaced on these entrusted with sustaining the Halas legacy.

(High picture: Scott Taetsch / Getty Photos)