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Why Kyle Shanahan Would Be an Ideal Fit in Chicago

| January 8th, 2013

Phil Emery has specific requirements for the next head coach of the Chicago Bears. He wants someone with high energy. He wants someone who has had success in their current role. He wants someone to provide a synergistic aura throughout the hallowed Halls of Papa Bear.

He wants Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

First, I hate nepotism in the NFL and it’s rampant. The primary reason is simple: I’m jealous. Unless I wanted to be the next star of North Jersey real estate or become the CEO-in-waiting of a profitable moving company, my parents were of no use to me professionally. If my dad were the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears I would most likely be the linebackers coach of the Chicago Bears. I mean, I can’t have worse credentials than Bob Babich.

We all know Kyle Shanahan would never have ascended to a coordinator position at this level were his name Kyle Hughes or Kyle MacLachlan. But Shanahan did ascend and did so NOT under the wing of his father Mike but under the wing of his father’s protege, former Broncos backup QB and current Texans head coach Gary Kubiak. And his offenses have been successful, with and without a star quarterback.

Kyle Shanahan brings with him a track record of running successful offenses in Houston and Washington. He specifically brings an ability to install his father’s renowned zone run schemes and display the type of rush attack in Chicago the city and weather require. He also brings with him an asset that none of the other candidates bring: Mike Shanahan. No coach handled the skills and temperament of Jay Cutler better than Mike Shanahan and Kyle’s ability to mine that resource is an asset not to be overlooked.

Kyle Shanahan would also provide something the Bears sideline has lacked for the past 15 years: fire. He is an intense customer, never more on display than when he profanely chased a referee into the tunnel after a September game ended poorly for the Redskins. He apologized for that outburst and paid a heavy fine but that kind of passion is criticized on a sideline defined by Joe Gibbs’ steely class. It would be lauded on a sideline made famous in the modern era by Da Coach.

And Shanahan’s inexperience on the defensive side of the ball, coupled with his desire to climb from his father’s shadow, would certainly make him amenable to keeping Rod Marinelli and the current defensive structure/staff in place. For me this is the difference between the Bears being a contender in 2013 or not.

Would it be a risky hire? Absolutely. And I doubt Phil Emery would make a thirty-three year old his first major hire as a general manager. But Shanahan fits the bill and fills a desperate need in the city of Chicago.

Doesn’t someone like that at least require an interview?