Chicago Bears: 5 head coaching candidates
By Joe Schiller
2. Jim Bob Cooter
If the Bears are going to look for a head coach candidate, why not look at their own division? Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. The 33-year old is young to head coaching standards but we’ve seen Sean McVay defy those standards. He’s a brilliant mind that could bring a new look to an anemic offense that the Bears have run the entire season.
Cooter was the quarterbacks coach from 2014-2015 before being promoted to offensive coordinator midway through the 2015 season. He’s taken the reigns of the offense and slowly improved the passing game to a top-10 unit it’s been this season. He’s also helped with the development of Matthew Stafford into one top quarterbacks in the NFL, despite the lack of success in the postseason. Cooter is very familiar with his division rivals and would be a good fit for the Bears next season.
The knock against Cooter from an offensive standpoint would be the Lions’ ineffectiveness to run the football. But to his defense, Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah aren’t your typical No. 1 and No. 2 running backs. Both thrive primarily in the receiving game, which is partially why the Lions have the worst running game in the NFL this season. If Cooter came to Chicago, that completely changes with Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen out of the backfield. That’s the kind of balanced offense that could help with Mitch Trubisky’s development.
In today’s NFL, no matter the age or experience, if a team believes a head coach is a right fit, then those factors shouldn’t matter. Expect Cooter to be a candidate for the Bears this offseason.