New “Star-studded” Bears Coaching Staff Could Include Dennis Allen

The Ben Johnson to the Bears thing isn’t officially official yet. But when NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero breaks the news, you can consider it a done deal. And once that do becomes official, Johnson’s next step will be to hire a new staff. There is heavy lifting to be done, but I don’t think he would take this job in Chicago thinking there wasn’t work to be done.

REPORT: BEN JOHNSON FINALIZES DEAL TO BE NEXT CHICAGO BEARS COACH

That said, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter/X), that the incoming Bears head coach is preparing to assemble “a star-studded” staff in Chicago. Schefter name-checks Dennis Allen as the leading candidate to become Johnson’s defensive coordinator. This would be an inspired hire by the new head coach. Because not only would that mean the Bears bring in an experienced defensive coordinator, but it also means they’ll hire someone with previous head coaching experience. It could be important.

Did Dennis Allen make it as a head coach with the New Orleans Saints or Oakland Raiders? No. Allen’s teams went 26-53 during his tenure as head coach. But I suppose it wasn’t all bad. Allen led the Saints to a 9-8 record in 2023 with Derek Carr running the show. Ultimately, I won’t overlook the potential value of having someone on staff who has been there and done that and could be someone a first-time head coach leans on as he embarks on this maiden voyage. That’s why this potential hire would intrigue me if it turned out that Allen would be the Bears’ next defensive coordinator.

Who is Dennis Allen and would he make a good Bears defensive coordinator?

We’ll take a deep dive on Dennis Allen (or whoever ends up being the Bears’ next DC) when the time comes. If that is Allen, it’s worth pointing out that he runs a 4-3 scheme. In other words, Chicago didn’t have to drastically rebuild its defense. It might not be a huge deal to some, but it’s certainly not something I would see as a no-brainer.

Recent results have been good for Dennis Allen. Last year, the Saints defense ranked 8th in points and 13th in yardage. In 2022, the New Orleans defense checked in to finish the year having allowed the ninth-fewest points and fifth-fewest yards. From 2015-2023, the years he ran the defense as a coordinator or head coach, Allen’s Saints teams had seven seasons in which they ranked in the top half of the league in scoring defense (including five top-10 finishes), six years in which they finished in the top half in yards allowed (including three top-10 finishes), and five seasons in which the group finished in the top-10 in takeaways. It’s a good bit of history.

Chicago’s defense has ball players, but after how things ended under Matt Eberflus and Eric Washington, it became clear that this unit needs a new voice. Maybe it will be Allen. We’ll see.

And to think, a potential Dennis Allen hire could be just the beginning. That Schefty says Ben Johnson is fielding a loaded staff is an encouraging bit of information. If you recall, there was a report in December that the Bears brass have the authority to spend big on a new coach and their staff. I guess we’ll find out. Follow along.