POSSIBLE CANDIDATES

Here’s a look, in alphabetical order, at whom the Bears could consider as their next head coach:

TERYL AUSTIN

Position: Lions defensive coordinator Pro: He interviewed with Pace three years ago. Con: Developing Mitch Trubisky is a top priority. Austin needs to have a top offensive mind to join him.

PETE CARMICHAEL

Position: Saints offensive coordinator Pro: He worked with Pace from 2006- 2014. Con: Carmichael only started calling the Saints’ plays last year.

JOHN DEFILIPPO

Position: Eagles quarterbacks coach Pro: Like coordinator Frank Reich, he helped develop Eagles quarterback CarsonWentz into a star. Con: He’s 39 and inexperienced.

VIC FANGIO

Position: Bears defensive coordinator Pro: If the Bears believe their defense is on the verge of dominance, keeping Fangio gets it there. Con: If the Bears believed he’d be a good head coach, wouldn’t they have made him the interim?

JOSHMCDANIELS

Position: Patriots offensive coordinator Pro: He’s been the deputy to perhaps the greatest head coach of all time and coached maybe the game’s greatest quarterback. Brother Ben works for Bears. Con: He’ll likely want total control, just like his current head coach. Pace wouldn’t allow that.

MATT NAGY

Position: Chiefs offensive coordinator Pro: Coach Andy Reid turned over play- calling duties to Nagy at the start of December, with success. Con: Until December, he’d never called plays.

FRANK REICH

Position: Eagles offensive coordinator Pro: Coordinator of maybe the league’s best offense. Con: Coach Doug Pederson calls the plays.

DAVID SHAW

Position: Stanford head coach Pro: He has head coaching experience, NFL assistant experience and has developed a star quarterback, Andrew Luck. Con: He’s a Stanford alum, and happy there.

PAT SHURMUR

Position: Vikings offensive coordinator Pro: Perhaps no coordinator has done more with less— a backup quarterback and running back— this year. Con: He failed as the Browns’ head coach, going 9- 23 from 2011- 12. But so did Bill Belichick.

DAVE TOUB

Position: Chiefs special- teams coordinator Pro: Toub has interviewed with the Bears before— for Marc Trestman’s job— and talked to the Chargers and Broncos last offseason. Con: John Harbaugh was the last special- teams coach named to a head job— in 2008.

OTHERS TOWATCH

Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen; Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter; Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh; Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.