Chicago Bears Hire Ryan Poles As General Manager, Coach Next

CHICAGO — After the Chicago Bears fired general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy earlier this month, team chairman George McCaskey promised an exhaustive search to fill both roles.

Now, the Bears have finished half of the job and may not be far from taking care of the rest.

The Bears named Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel Ryan Poles as Pace’s replacement, the team announced Tuesday night. Poles spent the dat at Halas Hall on a second interview for the general manager position. Video posted to a social media account on Monday night showed McCaskey walking with Poles through O’Hare International Airport and reports surfaced that the Bears likely had found their man.

The team wasted little time in making it official.

"We are thrilled to be able to add someone of Ryan's background and football expertise to our organization," McCaskey said in a statement issued by the team Tuesday night. "His accomplishments with the Chiefs speak for themselves and amplified the team's standing as one of the premier franchises in professional sports. We are confident that under his leadership, we will reach our goal of bringing a Super Bowl championship to Chicago."

Poles was a finalist for general manager openings with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, along with the Bears job. McCaskey said that he preferred to hire a general manager before seeking a replacement for Nagy, although the Bears have been busy over the past three weeks interviewing candidates for both jobs.

Poles, who was an offensive lineman at Boston College, was an undrafted free agent of the Bears in 2008, but did not make the final roster.

At 36, Poles has spent the past 12 seasons working with the Chiefs and has served as the team’s executive director of player personnel starting last season. Prior to that, he was the assistant director of player personnel since 2018, the director of college scouting, college scouting administrator and player personnel assistant.

Poles oversaw all aspects of the college scouting across the country for the Chiefs while assisting with the pro personnel process and preparing for free agency. He also assisted General Manager Brett Veach with the coordination of the NFL Draft and overseeing the team’s out-of-town area scouts, the team said in a news release. Poles was also instrumental in helping the Chiefs land top draft prospects such as All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce.

The Chiefs face the Cincinnati Bengals in Sunday's AFC Championship.

ESPN reported on Tuesday that former Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell was at Halas Hall in what would be the second interview for the veteran head coach. The Bears website reported Tuesday night that Poles interviewed Caldwell on Tuesday, 10 days after Caldwell had previously met with the team's search committee.

Caldwell, who worked most recently with the Miami Dolphins as quarterbacks coach in 2019, has won two Super Bowls as an assistant coach. Caldwell was part of Tony Dungy's staff in Indianapolis in 2006 when the Colts defeated the Bears and was an assistant to John Harbaugh when the Baltimore Ravens beat the 49ers in 2012. In his most recent head coaching job, Caldwell guided the Lions to two winning seasons in four years.

Multiple reports said Tuesday that Poles will conduct second interviews with Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who are also among the finalists for the Bears coaching job. It is unknown whether Poles will expand the list of coaching candidates who have already interviewed with the team's search committee.

Now in the general manager's role with the Bears, Poles will report directly to McCaskey. The Bears announced that Poles will be officially introduced at a news conference in the coming days.

"I am extremely grateful to George, the McCaskey family and the rest of the Bears organization for this opportunity," Poles said in a statement issued by the team. "The Chicago Bears are one of the flagship franchises in the National Football League and are recognized as one of the most prestigious clubs in all of sports. It's an honor for me to join such a well-regarded organization. Together with my family, I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running to help get this organization, its fanbase and the city what they deserve: a winning team and a Super Bowl trophy."