The process of replacing Vic Fangio with Chuck Pagano as defensive coordinator was a simple change within the evolving organization that is the Bears. That kind of step hasn’t always been so simple, however.
What was immediately clear, as general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy did their joint year-in-review briefing, was that the high-level staff hiring decision belonged to the head coach, a statement in itself.
Pace was asked what drew the Bears toward Pagano. “Really, those are Matt’s hires,” Pace said, turning to Nagy, “so he’s better to speak on that.”
For an organization that once told an incoming Mike Ditka that he’d be keeping Buddy Ryan as defensive coordinator, and told Marc Trestman that his defensive coordinator would be Mel Tucker and that the Bears would remain a 4-3 team, the process revealed both a confidence in the head coach as well as well-defined areas of responsibility.