With the Bears reporting to training camp Tuesday, here's a look at the coordinators and position coaches that Ben Johnson hired in his first year as coach:
Allen boasts 29 years of NFL experience, including six as a head coachwith the Raiders (2012-14) and Saints (2022-24) and eight as a defensive coordinator with the Broncos (2011) and Saints (2015-21) … Over his 14 full seasons with the Saints, he contributed to six NFC South titles, including the 2009 season which culminated in a Super Bowl championship … Over Allen's final four seasons leading the New Orleans defense, including the last two as head coach, the unit finished in the top 10 in yards allowed three times, including two years in the top five … He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Texas A&M, as a graduate assistant (1996-99) … Allen served as defensive backs coach at Tulsa (2000-01) before entering the NFL as Falcons defensive quality control coordinator (2002-03) … His father, Grady Allen, was a Falcons linebacker from 1968-72 … Allen played safety at Texas A&M and signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 1996 but was cut during training camp.
Doyle joins the Bears his year after spending the previous six seasons as an offensive assistant with the Saints under coach Sean Payton (2019-22) and then reuniting with Payton in Denver as Broncos tight ends coach(2023-24) … In Doyle's first two years in New Orleans, the Saints won back-to-back NFC South titles with records of 13-3 and 12-4 … Last year he helped the Broncos go 10-7 and earn a wild card playoff berth … Doyle began his coaching career at Iowa, serving as a student assistant (2016-18).
Hightower returns for his fourth season as Bears special teams coordinator and his fifth year overall in Chicago, having previously served as the club's assistant special teams coach in 2016 … He boasts 17 years of NFL experience, including stints with the Texans (2006-08), Commanders (2010-13), Browns (2014) and 49ers (2015, 2017-21) … Under Hightower's guidance, three different Bears were named NFC special teams player of the week last year: Tory Taylor, Cole Kmet and Josh Blackwell … In addition, Taylor set franchise punting records for gross average (47.7 yards) and net average (41.6), and Cairo Santos esablished a team mark with eight field goals of at least 50 yards, capped by a game-winning 53-yarder as time expired to beat the Packers in the season finale at Lambeau Field … Last year the Bears led the NFL with two blocked punts, one of which they returned for a touchdown … Hightower grew up in Houston and was a three-year letterwinner and special teams standout at Texas, where he was coached by the late Darryl Drake, who served as Bears receivers coach on Lovie Smith's staff from 2004-12 … Hightower went to Texas as an academic scholar, joined the football team as a walk-on and eventually earned an athletic scholarship.
Born in 1979, Randle El first started watching the Bears with his father and brothers in the 1980s, a golden era in franchise history. His favorite players were Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, receiver Willie Gault and running back Dennis Gentry … A three-sport star at Thornton Township High School in south suburban Harvey, Randle El followed in their footsteps, playing nine NFL seasons as a receiver and return specialist and winning Super Bowl XL with the Steelers in 2005 … He appeared in 143 NFL games, catching 370 passes for 4,467 yards and 15 TDs, rushing for 438 yards on 79 carries, and averaging 8.2 yards with five TDs on 311 punt returns and 22.3 yards with one TD on 79 kickoff returns. He also completed 22 of 27 passes for 323 yards with six TDs and a 156.1 passer rating that remains the highest in NFL history among players with at least 20 completions … Randle El spent the past four seasons as Lions receivers coach, working with Johnson to help create an explosive offense that averaged a league-leading 28.2 points per game over the last three years.
Barrett spent the past three seasons with the Lions working with Johnson and Randle El as an offensive assistant (2022) and assistant quarterbacks coach (2023-24) … As a player at Ohio State, Barrett was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, earning conference quarterback of the year honors three times, including in 2016 when he was named Big Ten MVP … In four seasons in Columbus, Barrett established Big Ten records with 104 passing touchdowns, 147 total TDs and 12,697 total offensive yards.
Bieniemy boasts 34 years of NFL experience, nine as a player and 25 as an assistant coach … As a running back, he appeared in 142 games with the Chargers (1991-94), Bengals (1995-98) and Eagles (1999), rushing for 1,589 yards and 11 touchdowns on 387 carries and catching 146 passes for 1,223 yards … Bieniemy began his NFL coaching career with the Vikings as running backs coach (2006-10) … He later spent 10 seasons with the Chiefs as running backs coach (2013-17) and offensive coordinator (2018-22), making nine playoff appearances and winning two Super Bowls.
Dray enters his fourth season as Bears tight ends coach after serving as offensive quality control coach with the Browns (2019) and Cardinals (2020-21) … He was selected by the Cardinals in the seventh round of the 2010 draft out of Stanford and appeared in 94 NFL games over eight seasons as a tight end with the Cardinals (2010-13; 2017), Browns (2014-15), Bills (2016) and 49ers (2016), catching 56 passes for 605 yards and three TDs.
Garrett enters his first year with the Bears after working as defensive line coach in college at Liberty University (2022) and Auburn (2023) before serving in the same capacity in the NFL with the Jaguars last season … He previously spent two years as Browns assistant defensive line coach (2020-21) … As a player, Garrett was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive lineman at Mississippi, where he earned Ole Miss Lifter of the Year and Chuck Mullins Courage Award honors.
Giordano joins the Bears after spending the past two seasons as Saints assistant secondary coach … He was chosen by the Colts in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of California and appeared in 116 games as a safety and special teams contributor with the Colts (2005-08), Packers (2009), Saints (2010), Raiders (2011-12) and Rams (2013), generating 227 tackles and 11 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns … Giordano won Super Bowl XLI with the Colts in 2006 and was on the field when Bears Hall of Famer Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a TD.
Harris boasts 26 years of NFL experience, 14 as a player and 12 as an assistant coach … He spent the past five seasons as Cowboys defensive backs coach (2020-24) … Harris was chosen by the Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 1997 draft out of Texas A&M-Kingsville and played in 198 games as a cornerback with the Eagles (1998-2002), Packers (2003-2009), Dolphins (2010) and Rams (2011). A two-time Pro Bowl selection, he registered 21 interceptions—three of which he returned for touchdowns—140 pass breakups and 470 tackles … Harris began his coaching career in 2012 as an intern with the Dolphins before spending the next six years as a Chiefs assistant.
Matthews enters his first season with the Bears in 2025 ... He spent the last five years with the Cowboys, starting as a defensive quality control in 2020 before serving as an assistant defensive backs coach in 2023 and 2024 ... Prior to his time with Dallas, Matthews spent three years as a defensive quality control coach with Washington following one season as assistant defensive backs coach with the Browns (2016) ... Spent time a defensive quality control coach with the Titans (2014-15) ... He spent the 2012 season as running backs coach at Kentucky Christian University ... Started as a personnel intern in 2007 with the Browns and the first part of 2008 as a personnel intern with the Arizona Rattlers of the AFL before four years with the Bills. Matthews as a defensive / special teams assistant (2008-09) and offensive assistant (2010-11).
Roushar joins the Bears with 39 years of coaching experience, 29 at the collegiate level and 10 in the NFL, all with the Saints as running backs coach (2013-14), tight ends coach (2015), offensive line coach (2016-20) and run game coordinator and tight ends coach (2021-22) … He spent the last two years as offensive line coach at Tulane … Roushar served as an assistant coach at Northern Illinois (1997-2002) and Illinois (1995-96 and 2003-04) … He worked as offensive coordinator at Butler (1989-92), Ball State (1994), Illinois (2004) and Michigan State (2011-12).
Smith boasts 45 seasons of coaching experience, including the last 36 in the NFL with the Houston Oilers (1988-92), Broncos (1993-96 and 2011-14), 49ers (1997-2002), Lions (2003-04), Dolphins (2005), Texans (2006-08), Panthers (2009-10), Falcons (2015-16), Chargers (2017-20), Raiders (2021) and Colts (2022-23) … He began his coaching career at Rio Hondo College (1979-80) followed by stints at Cal State Fullerton (1981-83), California (1984-86) and Arizona State (1987).
Taylor arrives in Chicago after spending the last three seasons as Jaguars offensive coordinator (2022-24) ... Prior to Jacksonville, he spent one season as a senior offensive assistant (2021) with the Indianapolis Colts ... Before Indianapolis, Taylor spent eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as an offensive quality control coach (2013-15), assistant quarterbacks coach (2016-17), quarterbacks coach (2018-20) and quarterbacks coach / passing game coordinator (2020) ... Prior to his eight seasons with the Eagles, served as a graduate assistant at Tulsa (2011-12) ... Played quarterback at Marshall (2009-10) after starting his career at Butler (Kan.) Community College (2007-08) ... Taylor's brother, Zac, is the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals and his father, Sherwood, played and coached at Oklahoma.
