Ben Johnson hires Dennis Allen as Bears DC; other coordinator positions reportedly filled
The Bears made moves on all three of their coordinators.
The biggest one comes on the defensive end, the greatest distance from head coach Ben Johnson’s speciality. News broke on Sunday evening that the Bears hired former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen as their defensive coordinator, a source confirmed to Marquee Sports Network. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was first with the news.
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That’s a huge win for the Bears, who were looking for an established individual to run the defensive side of the locker room. Allen has done well in that capacity for several teams, including the Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints. He has been elevated twice to head coach because of his leadership and defensive prowess, allowing Allen to has a strong influence on the defensive side.
I’ve covered Allen in the past, and the skill sets he requires for his defensive scheme aren’t too different from what the Bears required under Matt Eberflus. They should run a 4-3 front and need physical cornerbacks, strong ends and quick linebackers. The Bears are already equipped with all that.
Rapoport was also first to report that former Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle was hired as the team’s offensive coordinator. Doyle had worked under head coach Sean Payton in New Orleans and Denver, learning from one of the game’s top minds. He has also worked with Allen before.
Despite the Payton influence, the Bears offensive design will come from Johnson and his influences in Detroit and Miami. He will call plays and wants someone to set the table well and create game-specific options as each week progresses. Johnson prefers to cater his game plans to the opponent and will rely on assistants to help with that as he handles a much larger load.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin was first to report that Richard Hightower would be retained as special teams coordinator. That will keep some continuity on the coaching staff, and will endear Johnson to players who loved Hightower in his running the team’s oft-forgotten phase.