Bears general manage Ryan Poles said he will lead a six-person interview panel as the team works to hire a new coach.
He also mentioned the ongoing rumors about friction between him and president Kevin Warren and called them “so far from the truth.”
Poles said of Warren, “We spend every day together working on solutions.”
Poles will have final say on the coach, and Warren, chairman George McCaskey, Matt Feinstein, Jeff King and Liz Geist will be involved in interviews. Poles said he directed assistant general manager Ian Cunningham to focus on his own interviews for general manager vacancies around the league, and he will join the process later if he stays with the Bears.
The Bears fired coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29 after yet another mishandling of a late-game scenario in a loss to the Lions. He exited with a 14-32 record in two and a half seasons.
The Bears are now 15-36 in three seasons under Poles, with the best being a 7-10 finish in 2023.
While the roster needs extensive improvement, the Bears do have significant resources. They’re still in the rookie contract window of quarterback Caleb Williams, they have an extra second-round pick (giving them Nos. 10, 39 and 41 overall) and roughly $82 million in salary-cap space.
