Former Bears head coach Matt Nagy offers fitting advice for Ben Johnson and praises quarterback Caleb Williams
The NFL is a tough business and nothing is ever guaranteed, and no one knows that better than the head coaches in the league.Just look at former Chicago Bears' head coach Matt Nagy for example. In 2018, the Bears gave Nagy his first head coaching experience after working up the coaching ranks under Andy Reid.As […]
The NFL is a tough business and nothing is ever guaranteed, and no one knows that better than the head coaches in the league.
Just look at former Chicago Bears' head coach Matt Nagy for example. In 2018, the Bears gave Nagy his first head coaching experience after working up the coaching ranks under Andy Reid.
As a first-year head coach, Nagy had a lot of high expectations coming into a city with a fiery and impatient fanbase, and he rose up to the challenge quickly.
During his first season in Chicago, Nagy was named Coach of the Year after the Bears finished 12-4 and won the NFC North crown before falling short in the first round of the playoffs. Two seasons later, the Bears were back in the postseason as an 8-8 Wild Card team but once again lost in the first round.
The next season in 2021, the Bears finished 6-11 and Nagy was fired. Like I said, Chicago is an impatient fanbase.
Nagy then returned to Kansas City and is now getting ready for his third consecutive Super Bowl appearance as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator.
Meanwhile, the Bears had three straight disappointing seasons under head coach Matt Eberflus and have now hired their second coach since firing Nagy in Ben Johnson.
There's a lot of excitement with Johnson coming to town, but those in Chicago remember how things felt similar when Nagy was hired as a first-time head coach. During the Super Bowl Opening Day on Monday, Nagy offered some advice for Johnson as he enters into a similar situation he faced back in 2018.
"I have a lot of respect for him and what he does," Nagy said about Johnson. "Just the offense that he runs. It's a cool path that he's had to be able to get to this point. We're a small fraternity of coaches that are around each other, and you go different places, and I was in those shoes before. There's a lot that you go through that you don't know if you've never been a head coach before…
"When you go through that, it's very important to make sure that you have a circle of people around you that can really help you out, however that is, you have to have it. But, he'll do a heckuva job there and I'm just a big fan of what he's done… He's going to have a bright future."
Building a strong support system is incredibly important for any head coach joining a new team, especially one that hasn't been in that position before. Not having the right staff in place was one of the issues both Nagy and Eberflus faced while in Chicago. This time around, Johnson seems to be building an incredible staff to lean on.
Johnson has already hired veteran coaches such as Dennis Allen, Dan Roushar, Eric Bienemy, and Bill Johnson along with hungry young assistants in Declan Doyle, Antwaan Randle-El, Al Harris, and J.T. Barrett.
If Johnson wants to survive long-term in Chicago and not just be the next Nagy, he's going to have to rely heavily on his staff and be prepared to adjust year after year.
Nagy also added another piece of advice for the Bears' new head coach that will go a long way toward winning over the fanbase in Chicago:
"Win, and beat the Packers," Nagy added.
Something that will help Johnson find success and achieve those goals in Chicago will be his quarterback, Caleb Williams.
During his first season, Williams dealt with his fair-share of highs and lows, but the talent and leadership was evident, offering some kind of encouragement for the future. And those around the league took notice of that.
"I got to watch him on TV and you can obviously see the talent," Nagy said about Williams. "You see some of those flashes in there, in those plays that some people don't make. I think that's what all of Chicago saw as well and that's what makes you hungry to be able to see more…
"I think everyone's got to remember too, these rookies are so young. When you get thrown into different situations, everything that he went through this year will only help him be better for the future."
The Bears are hoping that the combination of Johnson at head coach and Williams at quarterback will finally be the recipe needed to get this franchise back out of the pit.
Saquon Barkley revealed how close he was to signing with the Bears in free agency and the reason he chose the Eagles certainly makes sense
He clearly made the best decision.
