Bears hire Chris Rumph as defensive line coach

The Bears hired Chris Rumph as defensive line coach, the team announced Thursday.

Rumph joins head coach Matt Nagy’s staff after spending the 2020 season as the outside linebackers coach with the Houston Texans. Before Houston, Rumph spent 18 seasons coaching in the college ranks.

Rumph replaces Jay Rodgers, who reportedly left for the Los Angeles Chargers, although Rodgers’ hire has not yet been made official by the Chargers. Rumph is the first coach to join defensive coordinator Sean Desai’s staff.

The Bears promoted Desai from safeties coach to defensive coordinator Friday, replacing retired defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. With Rodgers, outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino and inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone all leaving Chicago, secondary coach Deshea Townsend was the only position coach remaining from the 2020 staff outside of newly promoted Desai.

[Hub Arkush: Matt Nagy puts his trust in Sean Desai. Is that reason to celebrate or to panic?]

Rumph, a South Carolina native, comes to Chicago with extensive experience in the top ranks of the college football coaching world. Most recently he was the co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Tennessee (2018 and 2019). He previously was the defensive line coach and defensive coordinator at Florida (2015 to 2017). Other stints include assistant coaching positions with Texas (2014), Alabama (2011 to 2013), Clemson (2006 to 2010), Memphis (2003 to 2005) and South Carolina State (2002).

In 18 years coaching in college football, Rumph had 25 of his players selected in the NFL draft. As defensive line coach at Alabama, he was part of back-to-back national championship teams in 2011 and 2012. The 2011 Crimson Tide defense was historically good, leading the nation in points per game (8.2) and total yards (183.6).

Rumph became a coach after a four-year career playing linebacker at South Carolina from 1997 to 2001.

[Hub Arkush: Pulling off a trade for a star QB doesn’t guarantee success, as the Bears already know]

The man Rumph is replacing will be a tough act to follow. Rodgers had been the Bears’ defensive line coach since 2015, dating to the John Fox era. The Bears consistently put together solid defensive lines in that time, with players such as Akiem Hicks, Bilal Nichols and Eddie Goldman rising to prominence.

Rodgers’ departure stings, too, because it doesn’t appear that he left for a promotion. While some speculated Rodgers might be a candidate for Bears defensive coordinator, he will not be making the leap to a coordinator job this year, it seems. The Chargers brought in Renaldo Hill as their defensive coordinator. Rodgers figures to be joining the Chargers as a position coach.