Getty Chicago Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips has been contacted by Mike Singletary about the team's vacant head coaching position.
Former Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary is interested in returning to coaching – and he has made it known he wouldn’t mind coming back to lead his former team.
Singletary played linebacker for the Bears from 1981-1992, and he set the standard for the team’s Super Bowl-winning defense in 1985. A seven-time All-Pro, he began coaching in 2003, starting out as a linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens. He worked his way up the coaching ranks, eventually becoming head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2009-10. He didn’t have much success, however, amassing a record of 18 wins and 22 losses in his three seasons leading the Niners.
He hasn’t done much in the pros since then, spending time coaching in alternative leagues like the Alliance of American Football and the Spring League, but in a Jan. 26 report for The Athletic, Dan Pompei detailed Singletary’s desire to return to coaching — and the Bears legend revealed he has contacted his former team about filling the shoes of the recently-fired Matt Nagy.
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
Singletary Has Had Little Success as a Head Coach
While he was a Hall of Fame player, Singletary hasn’t had the same success in the coaching realm. He has had a losing record everywhere he has coached, from San Francisco to the Memphis Express (2-6) to Trinity Academy in Texas, where Singletary had a 1–21 record over two seasons. He hasn’t coached in the NFL in capacity since 2016.
Here’s a look at Singletary’s coaching resumé:
- Baltimore Ravens (2003–2004) — Linebackers coach
- San Francisco 49ers (2005–2008) — Assistant head coach / linebackers coach
- San Francisco 49ers (2008) — Interim head coach
- San Francisco 49ers (2009–2010) — Head coach
- Minnesota Vikings (2011–2013) — Special assistant to head coach / linebackers coach
- Los Angeles Rams (2016) — Defensive assistant
- Trinity Christian Academy (High School, TX) (2018–2019) — Head coach
- Memphis Express (Alliance of American Football) (2019) — Head coach
- TSL Generals (Spring League) (2020) — Defensive coordinator
Despite his lack of success as a coach, Singletary told Pompei he’s ready to toss his hat back into the ring.
Follow the Heavy on Bears Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest Bears-related breaking news, rumors, content and more!
Singletary Says He Called Bears President Ted Phillips About HC Position
Singletary says he’s ready to return to coaching, and he has ideas about how to make the Bears, who haven’t had a winning season since 2018, a contender again.
“If he were coach of the Bears, he would name permanent captains who would demand accountability the way he once did,” Pompei wrote. “Singletary would run a simple 4-3 defense that plays Cover 1, 2, and 3, and not much else. But he would disguise everything, like Ryan used to do. His offensive system would be based on the talents of his quarterback.”
“More than anything, the team needs an adjusted attitude, an adjusted heart, remembering who they are, the greatness that is there, the greatness we aspire to,” Singletary told Pompei.
According to Pompei, Singletary contacted two of the five members of Chicago’s search committee tasked with hiring a new general manager and head coach, Bears president Ted Phillips and Hall of Fame former executive Bill Polian, about getting a shot at the Bears’ head coaching vacancy. “Polian did not respond,” Pompei reported. Phillips didn’t say much, either.
“Two weeks ago, Singletary called Phillips. … Phillips, Singletary says, was noncommittal about an interview,” Pompei wrote.
“You know why I’m calling,” Singletary told Phillips, per Pompei. “I’m ready to lead this team to a championship.”
The Bears are fresh from hiring a new general manager, Ryan Poles, on Jan. 25, and Poles will be the one to choose the team’s next coach. Despite his desire to return, Singletary isn’t considered a finalist for the position.
“I believe I can be one of the greatest coaches ever, a better coach than I was a player,” Singletary added, via Pompei. “There’s no doubt in my mind. I’ve had experience, and more importantly, I’ve failed. I really believe now is the time for Mike Singletary and the Bears to come together again and for them to trust me again with the organization.”
Despite his desire to be a part of the organization he won a Super Bowl with, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.
READ NEXT: Key Details Emerge on Hiring of Bears New GM Ryan Poles: ‘He Demanded It’