How the Bears decided on Pace and Fox.

[JesusHalasChrist]

‘It all starts with the McCaskeys’: How the Bears ended up in ‘an endless cycle of inheriting the previous regime’s trash’

Since George McCaskey took over as chairman of the Bears in 2011, the three most important people in his franchise have seldom been aligned.

theathletic.com

“That thing stunk,” a former employee said. “It’s a good ol’ boy thing. Ryan Pace was a recommendation from (Saints GM) Mickey Loomis. Loomis and Ted are tight. (Saints coach) Sean Payton wanted Pace to be GM. Accorsi and Payton are connected. There was a reason Pace interviewed last.”

....

Fox and Accorsi worked together with the Giants, and as sources said then and now, Accorsi loved Fox. It ultimately became Pace’s call to hire him, but the idea of pairing Pace, who was 37, with an older coach in Fox appealed to the brain trust at the time. One former employee described it as an “arranged marriage.”

“Fox was put in place because they had a young GM,” another former staff member said. “He was an older guy, he understands personnel. It was the master plan from Accorsi, Loomis and Ted.”

The FoxyAccorsi connection was obvious but I think the bit about Loomis is new.

Who's going to be pulling the strings this time?

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

I couldn't stand Accorsi. I am more hopeful in Polian/Dungy

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

“It all starts with the McCaskeys,” a team source said. “It starts with George.”

 

[RiDLer80]

I couldn't stand Accorsi. I am more hopeful in Polian/Dungy

The same Dungy that recommended his friend Leslie Frazier.

 

[Visionman]

The fact Pace interviewed later shows they weren’t all in on him. They were giving opportunity for someone else to make that impression.

Virtually any person they interview is going to have some type of connection. The only way you get these interviews WITH ANY TEAM is if you have the connections…

 

[wonky73]

"He ripped Mitch in front of the whole team," a source said.

"Nagy proceeded to chastise Mitch for being uncoachable and not throwing it to the proper guy in front of the whole team," a second source said.

:grimmace:

 

[Aquineas]

This is one of the best insider articles I've ever seen- it explains a lot. It's worth signing up to the Athletic just to read it.

 

[gallagher]

So while we can all disagree with how it turned out, I see it as a sound strategy. Said it back then too. Find a young up and comer, and pair him with an old hand. Shouldnt that lend the kind of early stability that would allow the GM to make a few mistakes as he improves on the job?

Turned out that Pace couldnt learn quick enough, but I dont think it was an unsound theory.

 

[JesusHalasChrist]

The Bears’ interview process was unique. There was a mock press conference, much like the one the team put on during its 2004 coaching search, when Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm — a finalist along with Smith — botched the pronunciation of “McCaskey.”

And all these years we thought the mock press conference was an Emery thing.

 

[JP Hochbaum]

Honestly, this sounds like a toxic work environment for Mitch. It is no wonder he never developed. I have been through this before, your brain really shuts down in these situations.

 

[Aquineas]

This article discusses how each coach or GM was saddled with previous decisions that they didn't make at the beginning of their leadership runs. John Fox was saddled with Trubisky, Pace was saddled with Lovie and Cutler. It looks like by the Bears interviewing coaches they are going down that same route all over again. The Bears should not be interviewing coaches before the GM.

 

[gallagher]

John Fox was saddled with Trubisky, Pace was saddled with Lovie and Cutler.

Oh man your PTSD is so advanced you forgot that we had Trestman

 

[JesusHalasChrist]

So while we can all disagree with how it turned out, I see it as a sound strategy. Said it back then too. Find a young up and comer, and pair him with an old hand. Shouldnt that lend the kind of early stability that would allow the GM to make a few mistakes as he improves on the job?

Turned out that Pace couldnt learn quick enough, but I dont think it was an unsound theory.

My issue isnt the general strategy of young/old but the amount of influence Loomis appears to have had in the hiring of his subordinate.

It probably happens a lot more often than we realize, though. Belichick personally recommended Joe Judge to the Maras, for example.

 

[dentfan]

This article was illuminating. If you don't have a subscription, you should get one. Reading it was like an aha, that's why moment.

Let's hope that they get it right this time, because they do have a pattern to learn from and develop improvement from. Fingers crossed.

 

[gallagher]

My issue isnt the general strategy of young/old but the amount of influence Loomis appears to have had in the hiring of his subordinate.

It probably happens a lot more often than we realize, though. Belichick personally recommended Joe Judge to the Maras, for example.

Honestly? Everything about it seems like a combination of luck, circumstance, and preparedness. Joe Judge could have been the most prepared guy, but the circumstance of the Giants team regardless of his input was pitiful, and they just had no luck. Nagy wasnt prepared for the job, had tons of luck with us, and I'd say the circumstance was that he had a GM that was willing to trade the farm for the talent that might have brought us a championship.

Anyone good enough to get a first shot at HC should probably get a second shot down the line. Maybe BB will recommend Judge to the Jets, and McCocksky can recommend Nagy to GB

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

This article discusses how each coach or GM was saddled with previous decisions that they didn't make at the beginning of their leadership runs. John Fox was saddled with Trubisky, Pace was saddled with Lovie and Cutler. It looks like by the Bears interviewing coaches they are going down that same route all over again. The Bears should not be interviewing coaches before the GM.

There is nothing wrong with interviewing coaches before a GM. HIRING one before a GM is the problem.