Chicago Bears HC option: Leslie Frazier
Leslie Frazier has been a coach in some fashion since 1988. He’s been the Bills’ defensive coordinator since 2017. This season, his defense is the top-ranked unit against the pass and in overall points and yards allowed.
Frazier has ties to the Chicago Bears and the Chicagoland area in general. He was a member of the famed 1985 Super Bowl XX winners many consider the most dominant team in NFL history. He was a very good cornerback, recording 20 interceptions in five seasons before blowing his knee in the Super Bowl.
Frazier went on to start a football program at Trinity College, an NAIA school. He then moved on to Illinois as their defensive backs coach.
On the professional level, Frazier coached the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, and the Bills. In addition to being the defensive coordinator for the Vikings, he also became their head coach for four seasons.
There aren’t any other candidates who have the resume that Frazier has. He has the experience as both head coach and coordinator and has it with a number of teams. Some might say that means he might be too old but he isn’t one of those “old-school” coaches who cannot relate to the younger players.
The question with Frazier would be how he handles the hiring of his coaching staff. He has an abundance of experience on the defensive side of the ball but not a lot on offense. He would need to find a strong offensive coordinator to help him develop the offense. If he does that, he should succeed.