Dave Borgonzi enters his third season as linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears in 2024. He adds 18 years of coaching experience to the Bears, including 13 in the National Football League with stops in Indianapolis (2018-21), Tampa Bay (2014-17) and Dallas (2011-13). Prior to arriving in Chicago, he spent the 2018-21 seasons with Coach Eberflus in Indianapolis coaching the linebackers.
Borgonzi helped lead a Bears defense that was one of the best in the league in 2023. Their 86.4 rushing yards allowed per game and 1,468 total rushing yards on the season both the fewest in the NFL. They also allowed only one, 100 yard rusher in 2023 (Week 18- Aaron Jones, 111). The Bears became just the seventh team since 1970,
and third since 2000, to go from last or second to last in rush defense to top-5 in the following season.Leading the Bears on the inside was linebacker T.J. Edwards, who came to Chicago following a four-year stay with the Eagles. Edwards finished seventh in the NFL with 153 total tackles (90 solo). He also added 2.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss, three interceptions, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, seven passes defensed and two special teams tackles. He led or shared the lead in tackles for the Bears in 11 games in 2023 while recording 9+ tackles in 10 games. In his first year with the Bears, Edwards finished third on the Bears all-time tackle list for a single season (since at least 1991).Tremaine Edmunds was also a key part of Borgonzi's unit. He finished his sixth year in the NFL following a five-year stay in Buffalo. Edmunds has logged 100+ tackles in every season he has played. In 15 games, Edmunds logged 113 total tackles (69 solo) with five tackles for loss, four interceptions, seven passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He also scored one defensive touchdown. Edmunds ranked tied for seventh in the NFL in interceptions and was tied for first among linebackers (Fred Warner-SF).
In his first season with the Bears, Borgonzi helped guide a defense that was the youngest on-field roster in the NFL, as Bears defensive rookies led all teams with 3,538 total snaps. Linebacker Nicholas Morrow, in his fourth season in the NFL and his first with the Bears, led the team with a career-high 116 tackles. Newcomer Jack Sanborn, who joined the Bears in 2022 as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Wisconsin, made six starts from Weeks 9-15 before being placed on injured reserve. During that span, he ranked second amongst all defensive players in solo tackles (47). In his fourth career start vs. the Jets in Week 12, he logged a season-high 14 tackles, the most ever by a Bears rookie in a single game. He had three starts in which he finished with 10+ combined tackles, which tied for the second-most such games by a rookie in Bears franchise history, trailing only Roquan Smith's six games with 10+ tackles during the 2018 season. Sanborn's new role in the starting lineup came after a Week 9 trade which sent Smith to the Baltimore Ravens. Prior to the trade, Smith led all defensive players with 83 tackles (52 solo).
While in Indianapolis under Eberflus and Borgonzi, the Colts were the only NFL defensive unit to be ranked in the top-10 in scoring, run defense and takeaways in each of their final two seasons with the organization. The Colts also finished in the top-10 in the NFL in run defense and takeaways in all four of their years with the organization. The duo also helped Indianapolis reach the playoffs in two of the past four seasons (2018 and 2020).
Borgonzi helped mentor All-Pro LB Shaquille Leonard into one of the most productive players at his position in the NFL. Since being drafted by the Colts in 2018, Leonard has become a four-time Associated Press All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler. His career totals include 549 tackles (351 solo), 30.0 tackles for loss, 15.0 sacks, 12 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 31 passes defensed, 17 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.
Borgonzi also received strong contributions from Bobby Okereke. In his third season with Borgonzi's linebackers unit in 2021, Okereke registered a career-high 130 tackles (89 solo), three tackles for loss, two interceptions, four passes defensed and 1.0 sack for minus-9 yards.
In 2019, the Indianapolis finished seventh in the league after allowing 97.9 rushing yards per game, marking the first time that the Colts, who ranked eighth in rush defense in 2018, finished the year ranked in the top-10 in run defense in back-to-back seasons since 1976-77.
In 2018, Borgonzi assisted with and developed a linebackers group that featured four notable rookies (Matthew Adams, Zaire Franklin, Leonard and Skai Moore) and one second-year player (Anthony Walker). The group was spearheaded by Leonard, who finished his rookie season as the NFL leader in total tackles (163) while adding 12.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, eight passes defensed, two interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Leonard was named Associated Press First Team All-Pro and AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Prior to his four-year tenure in Indianapolis, Borgonzi served as defensive quality control/assistant linebackers coach in Tampa Bay for four seasons (2014-17). In 2016, the Buccaneers defense forced 29 takeaways, the third-highest mark in the league, along with 17 interceptions, tying them for the fourth most in the NFL.
In 2015, Borgonzi helped a defense that ranked in the top-10 in yards allowed (340.4), while allowing the second-lowest rushing average in the NFL (3.45). Lavonte David (147 tackles) and Kwon Alexander (93 tackles) finished as the top two tacklers on the team.
Prior to joining the Buccaneers, Borgonzi was with the Dallas Cowboys for three seasons serving as a coaching assistant. In his first two seasons, he assisted on the defensive side of the ball, specifically focusing on the secondary (2011-12). In 2013, he became an offensive assistant, spending the majority of his time assisting the offensive line.
Before the NFL, Borgonzi spent five years coaching at the collegiate level. He spent time at both Harvard (2008-10) and Syracuse (2006-07). While in Cambridge, Borgonzi served as the assistant defensive secondary coach and helped with recruiting. At Syracuse, he spent two years as a graduate assistant working with the secondary and defensive line, all while earning his master's degree in education. He also assisted the team with special teams and recruiting.
A native of Everett, Mass., Borgonzi graduated from Amherst College with a degree in law, jurisprudence and social thought. While at Amherst, he was a three-year starter at linebacker (2001-04) and was named team captain his senior year.
Borgonzi and his wife, Alyssa, have daughter, Gianna, and a son, James.
