Chicago Bears head coach interview tracker: Who's already talked, who's on the schedule

1st & North: Bears coaching search, Lions’ playoff push, and free agency outlook

The 1st & North crew covers the latest on the Chicago’s head coaching search, the Detroit Lions’ playoff run as the NFC’s last team standing, and a preview of free agency for the Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers.

Interviews to be the Chicago Bears' next head coach are currently underway.

Bears' general manager Ryan Poles currently has a list of candidates to talk to that goes well past a dozen.

"When we interview candidates, and they approve it we will make sure we put that out to you, who we interview," Poles said Tuesday. "I’m not going to go through and put all that out now, but as we complete an interview, we will send that out to make sure you have the name."

Here's a running list of whom the Bears have talked to, and are scheduled to talk to, for their head coaching position.

Jan. 18, 4:05- Adam Stenavich

For their 16th interview in the first round, the Bears ventured behind enemy lines. They interviewed Packers' offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich.

Stenavich has been in the NFL since 2017 when he was the San Francisco 49ers assistant offensive line coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator on January 31, 2022, after Nathaniel Hackett left for the Broncos' head coaching job.

The question with Stenavich is: How much is he responsible for in the Packers' offense? The Packers' offense was fifth in the NFL in total offense in 2024. While Stenavich is the offensive coordinator, but head coach Matt LaFluer is the offensive guru in Green Bay.

Jan. 18, 11:55 AM - Brian Flores

Brian Flores was the Bears' 15th interview in their head coaching search.

The Vikings' defensive coordinator chatted with the Bears on Saturday, and he's the sixth coach with a defensive background to talk with the Bears during this first round.

The Bears are familiar with Flores, whom they've faced twice a year since Flores took over as Minnesota's defensive coordinator last year. This year, the Bears almost got the best of Flores at Solider Field in a 30-27 overtime loss to the Vikings.

Jan. 17, 8:40 PM - Joe Brady

The man who built Joe Burrow into a Heisman Trophy winner and who made Josh Allen into an NFL MVP candidate interviewed for the Bears head coaching job on Friday evening.

Brady, who took over as Buffalo's offensive coordinator after the team fired Ken Dorsey, also interviewed for the New Orleans Saints opening on Friday night as well.

Under Brady, the Bills' offense ranked second in the league in points and ninth in the league in passing yards. This is a stark contrast from his first run as an offensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers when Brady lasted two seasons. His offense went from 21st in the league in total offense in Year 1 to 30th in Year 2. Brady's renaissance can be tied to Josh Allen. However, the difference between when Dorsey was the team's offensive coordinator and when Brady took over cannot be ignored.

Brady is the 14th candidate to interview for the Bears' head coach vacancy.

Jan. 17, 5:30 PM - Todd Monken

The Bears' latest head coaching interview takes them to Baltimore, where Raven's offensive coordinator Todd Monken got his shot to chat with the Bears' hiring committee.

Monken isn't unfamiliar with Illinois, he's a Wheaton, Illinois, native and attended Knox College in Galesburg. What's impressive is his offensive resume, however. In his NFL career, Monken was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three seasons, the Cleveland Browns for one season and the Baltimore Ravens for the past two seasons. He was the offensive coordinator in Georgia in the 2021 and 2022 seasons when the Bulldogs won back-to-back national championships.

The reason Monken has jumped on coaching lists this offseason is because of how Baltimore's offense is ranked first in the league in total offense, first in the league in total rushing offense and seventh in the league in total passing offense. The Ravens are also third in points scored this season as quarterback Lamar Jackson is a candidate for NFL MVP.

Jan. 15, 7:00 PM - Mike McCarthy

The former Cowboys and Packers coach had his chance to convince the Bears he's the right guy for the job.

McCarthy, who coached the Packers to eight-straight playoff appearances and the Cowboys to three-straight playoff appearances, interviewed with the Bears on Wednesday.

The twist with McCarthy is the Bears conducted their interview with him in person at Halas Hall, according to ESPN's Courtney Cronin. Cronin reported the Bears flew McCarthy in a private plane for his interview.

Jan. 15, 11:17 PM - Arthur Smith

The Bears interviewed current Steelers offensive coordinator and Falcons head coach Arthur Smith on Wednesday morning, as one of their two interviews on the day.

Smith coached the Falcons for three seasons, going 7-10 in each season.

Jan. 14, 8:00 PM - David Shaw

The Bears interviewed Shaw on Tuesday, giving the former Stanford head coach and current Broncos personnel executive a look.

Shaw's success at Stanford proved to be his own over time, and not a result of former head coach Jim Harbaugh after he departed for San Francisco. Shaw has not coached since 2022, and was last in the NFL over a decade ago.

Jan. 13, 12:30 PM - Thomas Brown

The Bears said their interim head coach would get a shot at the full-time job, and the Bears gave him his opportunity on Monday.

Brown, who went 1-4 as the Bears' interim head coach after the team fired Matt Eberflus, interviewed for the head coaching position Monday.

One thing that worked in his favor is that his one win as interim coach was against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, the first time since 2015 for the Bears.

Jan. 12, 5:45 PM - Ron Rivera

Rivera, the former Bears linebacker and defensive coordinator, interviewed on Sunday in person for the Bears' head coaching position. He also interviewed with the New York Jets. Rivera is a former NFL Coach of the Year who took the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl.

Rivera has always been connected with the Bears, especially this past summer when he was a part of the Hall of Fame celebrations for 2024 inductee Steve McMichael.

Jan. 11, 4:00 PM - Aaron Glenn

Glenn completed his interview with the Bears, and is expected to be high on the wish list for the New Orleans Saints where he played during his playing career.

He's taken an interview with the Bears, and fits the "leader of men" descriptor the Bears are looking for as the Lions' defensive coordinator. Most notably, the work that Glenn has done finding ways to supplement the Lions' pass rush amidst the high number of injuries is what makes him an attractive candidate.

Jan 11, 11:20 AM - Ben Johnson

The Bears have completed their interview with one of the top coaching candidates in this current head coaching cycle.

Johnson runs the Detroit Lions' offense as its offensive coordinator, and is regarded as one of the top coaching prospects seeking a top job. He was elevated to offensive coordinator in Detroit in 2022, a year after earning a promotion to passing game coordinator after Anthony Lynn was fired in 2021.

He was earning head coaching looks in 2022. Now, his stock may never be higher after leading the Lions' offense to top rankings in multiple statistics, which led Detroit to the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Johnson interviewed with the Patriots and Raiders on Friday, before taking one last interview with the Jaguars on Saturday. Those are the known interviews Johnson has currently, and this next week will provide some clarity into which teams he could pursue further.

Jan. 9, 9:05 PM - Mike Kafka

The Northwestern alum and current New York Giants offensive coordinator will have his interview with the Bears on Thursday. He was the fourth candidate the Bears interviewed on Thursday.

Jan. 9, 4:30 - Pete Carroll

Carroll was the organization's third interview of the day on Thursday. He's the second candidate the Bears have interviewed who has past head coaching experience.

Carroll spent the year as a consultant after he and the Seahawks mutually parted ways after the 2023 season. He made his intentions known around Christmas that he wanted to return to the sidelines and specifically targeted the Bears' opening.

Jan. 9, 11:20 AM - Anthony Weaver

The second interview of the day was the Dolphins' defensive coordinator.

The Bears talked with Weaver, following reporting from The Athletic's Diana Russini that Poles' search shifted to Weaver. The Bears requested and got an interview with Weaver, who has only been the defensive coordinator in Miami for the 2024 season.

Jan. 9, 8:00 AM - Drew Petzing

The Bears were up early and talked with Arizona Cardinals' offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.

This was one of the more surprising names on the Bears' interview list. The Cardinals' offense wasn't as effective as the Lions' offense, but he rose up the ranks in the NFL as a quarterbacks coach.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Bears' interest in Petzing, and noted his name was one that was rising among the coaching ranks.