Hub Arkush: Matt Eberflus’ first Bears coaching staff will have something old and something new

Matt Eberflus is knee deep and about halfway through the most important job he will do in his first season as the Bears’ head coach: assembling his first staff of assistants.

When asked why Eberflus was his choice for the job, one of Eberflus’ principle assets general manager Ryan Poles cited was his contacts and ability to assemble an outstanding staff.

Matt Nagy was the NFL Coach of the Year as a rookie, but it was in large part because he was able to retain John Fox’s defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, and most of Fangio’s staff, but Nagy left no such riches behind for Eberflus.

New offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and defensive coordinator Alan Williams are in the house, and Eberflus’ big-picture strategy seems clear.

With the addition of veteran Eberflus confidants Williams and linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi, the defense will be rooted waist high in the Tampa 2 tradition, the 4-3 defense run by Tony Dungy, Monte Kiffin, Lovie Smith, Rod Marinelli and Eberflus. Both men were with Eberflus all four years in Indianapolis.

Assistant defensive backs coach David Overstreet II not only spent the past four years in Indianapolis, but he also played all four years of his college ball at safety for Eberflus at Missouri.

The key will be Williams calling the shots on game day as Eberflus said his DC would.

[ Bears hire Colts safeties coach Alan Williams as defensive coordinator ]

He does come with some DC experience, having filled the role for Leslie Frazier – another Tampa 2 disciple – in Minnesota in 2012 and 2013 with mixed results.

Williams was brought in after a rough first year for Frazier and improved the Vikings to 16th in total defense and 14th in points allowed as Minnesota improved from 3-13 to 10-6.

But then the next season the Vikings fell right back to 31st in total defense and 32nd in points allowed, and everyone was fired.

Borgonzi will be integral, too, as Roquan Smith either will be moving outside to a weak-side linebacker spot or asked to play inside alone – neither of which he’s done before. With Alec Ogletree and Christian Jones both free agents, and Danny Trevathan a medical question mark, there will be significant turnover at the position.

[ Bears hire Chris Morgan as OL coach, Dave Borgonzi as LB coach ]

It also is interesting that Borgonzi’s brother Mike worked side by side with Poles in Kansas City for the past decade.

However, although Eberflus has indicated he intends to have significant input on offense, as well, his choice of Getsy suggests a focus on youth and the much newer offensive philosophies of Sean McVay and Matt LaFleur rather than his tried-and-true defense and grizzled vets to run it.

Only 37, Getsy was brought into the NFL at 30 by Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, where Getsy worked for four seasons on offense in quality control and then as the receivers coach.

[ Bears hire Packers QB coach Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator ]

He left in 2018 to be the offensive coordinator at Mississippi State but returned to Green Bay in 2019 to spend the past three seasons studying under LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers as the quarterbacks coach.

His first hire, offensive line coach Chris Morgan, held the same job in Atlanta from 2015-20. It is worth noting that staff included Kyle Shanahan as his OC, along with LaFleur and current 49ers OC Mike McDaniel.

[ Bears hire 3 more assistant coaches, including Andrew Janocko as QBs coach ]

New quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko is only 33 and has been with the Vikings the past seven seasons, where he was the receivers coach in 2020 and developed rookie standout Justin Jefferson, and last year he was Kirk Cousins’ QB coach in Cousins’ best statistical season as a pro.

Janocko’s connection to Getsy is his last season as a quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh in 2010 when Getsy was a graduate assistant there. Interestingly, Dave Wannstedt was the head coach.

Getsy’s new wide receivers coach, Tyke Tolbert, is a potential home run. Widely respected as one of the best in the game, Tolbert has spent the past 19 seasons coaching the position for the Cardinals, Bills, Panthers, Broncos and Giants, teaching Anquan Boldin, Lee Evans, Eric Moulds, Terrell Owens, Steve Smith, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Odell Beckham Jr. among others.

Once completed, however, the offensive group ultimately will come down to whether Getsy is ready for the moment.

• Hub Arkush is a Shaw Media correspondent.