John Fox and the Broncos agreed to part ways after four seasons. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)
Former Broncos coach John Fox is traveling Wednesday to Chicago to interview for the Bears’ head coaching position, according to an NFL source.
Fox seemed to become the Bears’ top candidate within hours after the Broncos’ 24-13 second-round playoff loss Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts.
Fox’s connection to the Bears came by way of the New Orleans Saints. The Bears last week hired former Saints’ director of player personnel Ryan Pace to be their new general manager. Pace from the bottom of the Saints’ personnel department where he worked closely in recent years with Sean Payton, New Orleans’ head coach since 2006.
Payton and Fox are good friends going back to their coordinator/position coach years with the New York Giants from 1999-2001.
Pace is now overseeing the Bears’ head coaching search and Fox may be his man. If Fox becomes the Bears’ next coach as expected, don’t be surprised if another Saints’ connection, Dennis Allen, becomes a top candidate to be his defensive coordinator. Allen was Fox’s defensive coordinator in Denver during the “Tebow Season” of 2011.
Kyle Shanahan would be under consideration to become the Bears’ offensive coordinator. It appears the Bears will go forward with Jay Cutler as their quarterback in 2015.
