AP Photo/Lon Horwedel

Jim Caldwell, Nathaniel Hackett Complete Interviews for Bears HC Job

Erin Walsh

The Chicago Bears have completed interviews with Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell for their vacant head coaching position, the team announced Saturday. 

Chicago fired head coach Matt Nagy on Monday after four seasons. 

Nagy went 34-31 in his four seasons as head coach of the Bears. In 2018, Chicago finished 12-4, but things have gone downhill since. The team finished 8-8 in both 2019 and 2020 before dropping to 6-11 this year, its first losing season since 2017.

Hackett is in his third season as Green Bay's offensive coordinator. He led the Packers offense to a No. 1 rank in the NFL in scoring in 2020, and helped the team clinch their third consecutive NFC North title in 2021. 

The 42-year-old began his NFL coaching career in 2006 as an offensive quality control coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He stayed with the team through 2007 before taking on the same role with the Buffalo Bills from 2008-09. 

Hackett then served as Buffalo's offensive coordinator from 2013-14 before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars as a quarterbacks coach from 2015-16. He also served as Jacksonville's OC from 2016-18 before joining the Packers. 

Caldwell, meanwhile, has far more experience. He entered the NFL in 2001 as a quarterbacks coach for the Buccaneers before serving as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002-08. 

The 66-year-old took over as head coach of the Colts in 2009 and served in the role through 2011, leading the team to back-to-back AFC South championships in his first two seasons. He then joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2012 and served as the team's quarterbacks coach and interim offensive coordinator before taking over as OC in 2013.

Caldwell served as head coach of the Lions from 2014-17, leading the team to three winning campaigns in four years. He then joined the Miami Dolphins as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach in 2019.

Caldwell has compiled a 62-50 regular-season record, 26-22 with Indianapolis and 36-28 with Detroit in his seven seasons as a head coach. He is 2-4 in the playoffs, going 2-2 with the Colts and 0-2 with the Lions.

In addition to Hackett and Caldwell, the Bears have also interviewed former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores for their vacant head coaching position.  

   

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