Getty Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears looks on from the sideline in the third quarter of the game against the New York Giants at Soldier Field on January 02, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have lured a long-time coordinator away from an NFC rival, as new head coach Matt Eberflus continues adding to the team’s coaching ranks.
The Bears hired coach Richard Hightower to be their special teams coordinator on Sunday, February 6. Hightower held the same position with the San Francisco 49ers for the last five seasons, two of which saw the Niners reach the NFC Championship Game (2019, 2021) and one that ended in the Super Bowl (2019). It was Hightower’s special teams unit that blocked two kicks against the Green Bay Packers in this year’s Divisional Playoff Round, leading to a 13-10 victory and potentially the end of quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ tenure with the team.
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
Hightower, 41, has spent 15 seasons coaching in the NFL across all three phases of the game. That includes one year of experience with the Bears as the assistant special teams coach in 2016, per Pro Football History.
Hightower is Third Member of Bears New Coordinator Core Following Head Coaching Change
GettyNew Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.
Hightower joins a staff that is being reset under newly-hired general manager Ryan Poles and Eberflus.
Chicago tapped former Packers quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Luke Getsy, 37, to build an offense around second-year signal caller and the team’s top NFL Draft pick in 2021, Justin Fields. Eberflus, a defensive mind who most recently served as defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts over the last four seasons, will afford Getsy play calling duties.
As for the defense, the Bears hired former Colts safeties and defensive backs coach Alan Williams to run the show. Williams worked under Eberflus all four seasons the two were together in Indianapolis. There was speculation that Chicago might hold onto Sean Desai, who ran the unit under former Bears head coach Matt Nagy last season. Ultimately, though, Eberflus decided to go with his own guy as defensive coordinator.
Williams, 52, inherits arguably the team’s most talented unit, with the likes of middle linebacker Roquan Smith and former All-Pro edge rushers Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn at his disposal. But the Bears special teams unit is no slouch. It finished ranked sixth overall in the entire NFL in 2021, per ratings provided by Pro Football Focus.
Bears Make Handful of Coaching Hires in Recent Days
GettyRobert Quinn, of the Chicago Bears, waits on the sidelines to enter the game against the New York Giants at Soldier Field on September 20, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois.
Chicago is filling out more than just the big jobs, adding several position group coaches in recent days.
The Bears hired Chris Morgan last week to fill the role of offensive line coach. He was the Pittsburgh Steelers assistant OL coach last season. The team also brought in Dave Borgonzi to coach the linebackers. He held that job for Eberflus’ defense in Indianapolis last year.
On Friday, Chicago made three more coaching additions: Andrew Janocko was hired from the Minnesota Vikings to coach quarterbacks, David Overstreet II was hired from the Colts to coach the defensive backs, and Tyke Tolbert was hired to coach the wide receivers and coordinate the passing game. Tolbert formerly coached wideouts with the New York Giants.
Chicago most recently hired tight ends coach Jim Dray and assistant offensive line coach Austin King, per the Chicago Tribune. Dray was an offensive quality control coach for a year with the Cleveland Browns back in 2019 before moving into the same position with the Arizona Cardinals. His work as a coach followed an eight-year NFL career as a tight tend.
King was the tight ends coach with the Las Vegas Raiders last season, serving as an offensive quality control coach with that franchise the year before that. He also had a three-year NFL career as a center with the Atlanta Falcons.