NFL Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears’ Ownership Afraid To Hire Headstrong Coach

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By @ClydeASpeller

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The rumors of the potential firing of head coach Marc Trestman at season’s end has many Chicago Bears fans ecstatic. As a matter of fact, this is probably the most excited the Chicago faithful have been all season long. However, just because Trestman could possibly be on his way out of the Windy City doesn’t necessarily mean that the Bears’ organization will bring in the right person to fill the void.

Over the past 22 years, the McCaskey family has tried numerous times to hire the right head coach to bring the Bears back to prominence. During that time, they brought in Dave Wannstedt (1993-98), Dick Jauron (1999-2003), Lovie Smith (2004-12) and Trestman (2013-present). None of these coaches came close to the success of the one person who came before them.

Ever since the 1992 firing of legendary head coach Mike Ditka, this franchise has only been to the postseason five times. Looking back on Ditka’s tenure with the Bears, which started in 1982, Chicago made the playoffs seven times during that 11-year span. The number of postseason appearances isn’t the only major difference between Ditka and the other four head coaches.

Ditka is considered an icon in Chicago, not only for the Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl championship, but also for being arguably the most colorful character in the history of sports. Furthermore, Ditka was the kind of coach who wasn’t afraid to get in a player’s face when they weren’t playing their best, and didn’t hold his tongue when expressing his feelings about the performance of his team.

Wannstedt, Jauron, Smith and Trestman are the polar opposites of what Ditka brought to the table, which is exactly why I think that the McCaskeys brought those guys on after the Ditka era. Ditka’s outspokenness did bring some negative attention to the organization at times, and was probably too much for the McCaskeys to handle. In addition, that was probably why Ditka got the ax after the ’92 season. Let’s be honest, why would you fire a coach who was named coach of the year twice, led your franchise to seven postseason appearances, three NFC Championship Games, and a Super Bowl title in an 11-year stretch?

Focusing back on the present, there are some potential candidates who could step in, assuming that Trestman is given his walking papers. Two likely choices are individuals who once played for the Bears (just like Ditka), and who actually played for ‘Da Coach.’ Jim Harbaugh and Mike Singletary definitely know what type of attitude is needed to win in Chicago, and they both have the similar no-nonsense approach to the game of football as Ditka. Unfortunately, I think that those are the reasons why they won’t be walking the Bears’ sidelines in the event of Trestman’s firing.

Just like the four coaches who arrived after Ditka, the McCaskeys will more than likely follow suit and hire another coach who is willing to follow orders, and not bring any disturbance towards the organization’s way. I guess having a quiet home is more important than consistently making the postseason and having a chance at winning a Super Bowl.

Clyde A. Speller is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClydeASpeller

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