Ben Johnson pairs Dennis Allen with surprising wunderkind hire as Bears OC

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is assembling a diverse and star-studded coaching staff for his first year with the team.

Johnson emerged as the premier coaching candidate during his time as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. For years, he turned down potential head coaching jobs, insisting that he would only accept a head coaching position when the right opportunity came.

Chicago finished the 2024 season with an abysmal record, but the team has a promising roster which is highlighted by quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. That was enough to lure Johnson to Chicago, where he’s beginning to handpick his staff.

Along with hiring former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen as the defensive coordinator, Johnson has found an offensive coach to implement his high-scoring offensive scheme.

Bears hired the youngest offensive coordinator in the NFL

The Bears are hiring Denver Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle as their offensive coordinator, according to  NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Johnson already said he will continue to call plays as he installs his offensive scheme, but Doyle has built a reputation as an up-and-coming coaching star. The 28-year-old is now the youngest coordinator in the NFL.

Before entering the NFL, Doyle spent three seasons as an offensive student assistant for the University of Iowa. He got his coaching start as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints in 2019 before following former Saints head coach Sean Payton to Denver in 2022. 

After spending the past two seasons coaching the tight ends, Doyle will reunite with Allen, who served on Payton’s staff in New Orleans as the defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2021. The young coordinator worked with Lions head coach Dan Campbell in New Orleans from 2019-20. That connection, along with the connection with Allen, may have been enough to earn Doyle a recommendation for Chicago's coaching role.

The Bears also poached another rising coaching star from the Dallas Cowboys, hiring Al Harris as the defensive passing game coordinator. Two former Lions coach also followed Johnson to Chicago: quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett and wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El.