Well now, if you wanna know about the coaches of the Chicago Bears, I’ll tell ya what I know, though it might not be all fancy or full of big words, just the truth. The Chicago Bears, bless their hearts, they’ve been around a long time, and they sure been through plenty of coaches. Let’s start from the very first one, George Halas. Now, George Halas, he’s the big one, the legend. The man coached for 40 years, can you believe that? From 1920 all the way till 1967, though it wasn’t all at once, he had a few stints where he stepped away and then came back. That fella coached more games than anyone else, and let me tell ya, he won a whole lotta them too.
George Halas’ Time with the Bears
Now, old George, he was something special. He didn’t just coach, he helped start the whole dang team, and folks still talk about him today. During his long run, he made sure the Bears won a lotta games. In fact, he’s the all-time leader for both the most games coached and the most games won. No one else even comes close to his numbers. So, if you’re talkin’ about Bears coaches, you gotta start with George Halas, no doubt about it.
The Winningest and the Worst
Now, you’ve heard of folks who done well, but then there’s always the one that don’t do so hot. For the Bears, Ralph Jones, bless his heart, he was the one with the highest win percentage. He had a pretty good run with a .706 win rate. Now, don’t ask me how he did it, but that’s what the numbers say. On the other end of the spectrum, we had Abe Gibron. Poor fella, he wasn’t too lucky when it came to wins. He’s got the worst record, with only .268 wins outta the games he coached. Ain’t much to brag about there.
The Mike Ditka Years
Then there’s Mike Ditka, a name a lotta folks remember well. Ditka wasn’t just a coach, he was a powerhouse. After he hung up his cleats and stopped playin’, he went on to become one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Bears. The crowning moment of his career came in 1986 when he led the Bears to a Super Bowl win. You can bet that made him a legend in Chicago. Now, I don’t know all the ins and outs of coaching, but anyone who can win the Super Bowl is doing something right, if you ask me.
Recent Coaches
Now, we can’t forget about the newer coaches, like Matt Eberflus. Eberflus has been the head coach since 2022, and so far, well, his record’s not the best. He’s coached 42 games and only won 14 of them, so he’s got some work to do. But hey, it ain’t all about wins and losses; sometimes a coach just needs a little time to figure things out. Who knows, maybe next season, things’ll turn around for ol’ Matt.
The Timeline of Bears Coaches
- 1920-1929, 1933-1942, 1946-1955: George Halas
- 1956-1967: James Dooley
- 1979-1982: Neill Armstrong
- 1982-1992: Mike Ditka
- 1993-1998: Dave Wannstedt
- 1999-2000: Dick Jauron
- 2001-2008: Lovie Smith
- 2009-2012: Lovie Smith
- 2013-2014: Marc Trestman
- 2015-2017: John Fox
- 2018-2021: Matt Nagy
- 2022-present: Matt Eberflus
It’s a long list, ain’t it? Over the years, the Bears have had a lotta different folks tryin’ to turn things around, but it ain’t easy. Football is a hard game, and being a coach is no walk in the park either. You gotta make tough decisions, manage players, and do all sorts of things that folks don’t even think about. But every coach, whether they won or lost, left their mark on the Bears in one way or another.
Final Thoughts
So, that’s a quick look at the history of coaches for the Chicago Bears. They’ve had their fair share of ups and downs, but through it all, they’ve kept going, and that’s what counts. If you ask me, I reckon the Bears will always be special, no matter who’s coaching them. Who knows, maybe the next coach will bring another Super Bowl home to Chicago. Time will tell!
Tags：[Chicago Bears, Bears head coaches, George Halas, Mike Ditka, Matt Eberflus, Ralph Jones, Abe Gibron, football history, Chicago football, NFL coaches]
