Bears hire Chiefs assistant Matt Nagy as coach
LAKE FOREST, ILL. » The Chicago Bears were looking for a coach to get the most out of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and help a founding NFL franchise emerge from one of its worst runs.
They believe Matt Nagy is the right man.
The Bears hired Kansas City’s offensive coordinator as their 16th head coach Monday, hoping he can develop their promising quarterback and turn around a struggling team.
The Bears announced the move a week after firing coach John Fox, who went 14-34 in three seasons for a .292 winning percentage that is the second-lowest in team history. Chicago was 5-11 this season and hasn’t finished above .500 since letting Lovie Smith go following a 10-6 finish in 2012, two years after its most recent visit to the playoffs.
The 39-year-old Nagy spent the past 10 seasons working under Andy Reid in Philadelphia and Kansas City. He did not call plays until late this season, but drew praise for his work with Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith.
In Chicago, the former quarterback at Delaware and then the Arena Football League will be trying to develop Trubisky, last year’s No. 2 overall draft pick.
“He’s a good football coach, first of all,” Reid said. “I appreciate the way he comes to work and the attitude he brings. He puts his own flare on things. I think that’s important to know. Everybody does their way.”
Nagy coached in high school and was still working in real estate when he served as a coaching intern with the Eagles during training camp in 2008 and 2009. He got a big break, though it came with a pay cut, when he took the job as a coaching assistant during the 2010 season.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace has plenty riding on him.
Pace put his reputation on the line when he traded up a spot with San Francisco to draft Trubisky even though he made just 13 college starts at North Carolina. It’s up to Nagy to help polish a quarterback who showed some promise with his strong arm and quickness after he took over for Mike Glennon.
If Trubisky succeeds, there’s a good chance the Bears start winning. That would likely mean a long future in Chicago for Pace, who recently got a contract extension through the 2021 season.
The Chiefs won the AFC West, only to blow an 18-point halftime lead in a playoff loss to Tennessee on Saturday. That didn’t stop the Bears from moving quickly on Nagy, interviewing him Sunday and hiring him a day later.
Chicago also met with Philadelphia quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, offensive coordinators Pat Shurmur (Minnesota) and Josh McDaniels (New England), Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards and Chicago defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. it There were no known second interviews.
BELICHICK ‘ABSOLUTELY’ INTENDS TO RETURN AS PATRIOTS COACH » Under Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots have often thrived when inundated with scrutiny from outside of their locker room.
They’ll have to do it again this week as they prepare for their divisional round matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
Belichick said Monday that it is “absolutely” his intention to return as coach of the Patriots next season, despite reports of turmoil in the franchise involving himself, quarterback Tom Brady and team owner Robert Kraft.
Belichick said he didn’t have anything to add to a joint statement the three men released last week in response to an ESPN report, citing undisclosed sources, that detailed an array of tension.
“I haven’t read the article. I’ve already commented at length about that situation,” Belichick said. “Nothing has happened since then, so I don’t have anything to add to it.”
The ESPN story highlighted purported disputes concerning Brady’s personal body coach, Alex Guerrero, in player-medical affairs.
Also mentioned was a supposed difference between Kraft and Belichick over the decision to trade former backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The story implied Brady has taken issue with a lack of praise from Belichick this season.
When asked about another report about his supposed interest in coaching the New York Giants where he was a defensive coordinator, the Patriots coach said he is concerned only on New England’s game with the Titans on Saturday night.
JAGUARS’ NGAKOUE STANDS BY TWEET, SAYS INCOGNITO ‘KNOWS WHAT HE SAID’ » Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue stood by his tweet accusing Buffalo Bills guard Richie Incognito of using “weak racist slurs” during their playoff game, but declined Monday to provide more details about what was said.
Ngakoue called out Incognito on Twitter hours after Sunday’s wild-card game, referring to him by his No. 64 jersey.
Ngakoue backed up his tweet Monday, saying, “He said what he said. He knows what he said. I don’t have to repeat it.”
Incognito was not present in the locker room during Buffalo’s hour-long media availability Monday. He also did not respond to a text message from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Ngakoue adds, “I’ve been playing this game since I was a little kid. You hear all type of stuff. Stuff’s not going to bother you, but somebody says something about your ethnicity, that’s really kind of taking it a little too far. I’m all with trash talk. It’s part of the game, but you can’t say certain things.”