Getty Quarterback Justin Fields has been developing a good rapport with TE Jesper Horsted.
The Chicago Bears have a full coaching staff and as of Tuesday, they have also hired a new name to run a crucial player development department.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles on February 15 hired Brent Salazar as Chicago’s Clyde Emrich Director of High Performance, per Larry Mayer of the team’s official website. The position, named in honor of the Bears’ strength coach of 50 years who passed away in November, encompasses a wide array of responsibilities. Salazar will run both the Bears’ strength and conditioning program as well as head up its sports science department, where he will work in concert with the athletic training staff.
“We are excited to add this key hire to our football operations staff, a newly created position to oversee, align and continue to develop our strength and conditioning and sports science to optimize player performance,” Poles told Mayer. “Players maximizing their potential in preparation, on the field, in recovery and rehabilitation is critical to their overall athletic performance and ultimately team success.”
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
Salazar’s Most Recent NFL Job Was With Rival Minnesota Vikings
GettyQuarterback Justin Fields, of the Chicago Bears, will enter his second year in the NFL in 2022.
Salazar most recently worked in the league back in 2016, when he served as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
According to Mayer, Salazar has more than a decade of experience working in professional football. His time in the NFL also includes working as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2007-15 and as a strength and conditioning intern with the Denver Broncos the following year.
After his season in Minnesota, Salazar transitioned to professional tennis. He served as the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) Director of Performance for three years between 2017-20, Mayer said.
The football world reacted positively to the news of Salazar’s hire Tuesday. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, for one, took to Twitter to laud the move.
“A key hire for [head coach] Matt Eberflus and the #Bears,” Rapoport wrote.
Bears Replace Entire Staff This Offseason, Starting With Head Coach
GettyNew Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.
The Bears have undergone a major management overhaul this offseason, and the addition of Salazar is just the latest move.
It started with the hiring of new Chicago GM Poles and head coach Eberflus, who wasted little time filling out the rest of the coaching staff. Chicago brought in former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Luke Getsy to run the offense. Getsy, 37, will call the offensive plays for second-year Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Eberflus, who spent the previous four seasons running the defense in Indianapolis, hired his former Colts colleague Alan Williams as Chicago’s new defensive coordinator. Williams worked under Eberflus as the Colts safeties and defensive backs coach all four years the two were together in Indianapolis.
Finally, earlier this month, the Bears added Richard Hightower as their new special teams coordinator. Hightower led the same unit for the San Francisco 49ers over the past five seasons.