The Bears on Friday hired Bill McGovern as their inside linebackers coach and promoted Bill Shuey from defensive pass analyst/assistant linebackers coach to outside linebackers coach.
McGovern boasts 36 seasons of coaching experience, seven in the NFL and 29 at the collegiate level. In 2020, he served as a defensive analyst at Nebraska. Prior to that, McGovern spent seven years in the NFL as outside linebackers coach with the Philadelphia Eagles (2013-15) and linebackers coach with the New York Giants (2016-19), working solely with inside linebackers in 2019.
McGovern replaces Mark DeLeone, who left the Bears after two seasons to become inside linebackers coach with the Detroit Lions.
McGovern spent the first 18 years of his coaching career at the collegiate level, beginning with stints at Pennsylvania (1985), Holy Cross (1986-87, 1991-92) and Massachusetts (1988-90, 1993). He then served as defensive backs coach at Boston College (1994-96) and Pittsburgh (1997-99) before returning to Boston College as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2009-12.Â
During his second stint at Boston College, McGovern coached linebacker Luke Kuechly, who was named the ACC defensive player of the year in 2011. Kuechly was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft by the Carolina Panthers and was voted to seven Pro Bowls and chosen first-team All-Pro five times during an eight-year NFL career.Â
In McGovern's final year at Boston College in 2012, he worked with new Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai, who served as running backs coach and special teams coordinator at the school. Desai was promoted to the coordinator position Jan. 22 after spending the past eight seasons with the Bears, including the last two as safeties coach.
As a player, McGovern was a four-year starting defensive back at Holy Cross, where he set NCAA Division I-AA records for interceptions in a career (24) and a single season (11) as a senior when he earned consensus first-team All-America honors. He is a member of the Holy Cross Hall of Fame and the school's Ring of Honor.Â
Shuey joined the Bears in 2018 as a defensive quality control coach, working with the defensive line, inside linebackers and special teams. He spent the past two seasons as defensive pass analyst/assistant linebackers coach.Â
Shuey replaces Ted Monachino, who left the Bears after two seasons to become outside linebackers coach with the Atlanta Falcons.
Shuey began his coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles, serving under coach Andy Reid for 10 seasons as head coach assistant (2001-02), offensive quality control assistant (2003-06), defensive quality control assistant (2007) and linebackers coach (2008-10). Shuey worked on the same Eagles staff with Bears coach Matt Nagy from 2008-10.Â
After leaving the Eagles, Shuey spent six seasons at the collegiate level as linebackers coach at West Chester (2012-13) and defensive coordinator at Widener (2014-17) before joining the Bears.
Check out the best photos of the 2020 season—taken by Bears photographers—featuring players on the defensive side of the ball.