The Chicago Bears haven’t made any determination on who the next head coach will be. That won’t come until after the regular season ends next month. Until then, they’ve made Thomas Brown the interim coach for the rest of the year. It is an unexpected rise for a man who was passing game coordinator just a few weeks ago. From there, he replaced Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator and now Matt Eberflus as head coach. Make no mistake, though. This assignment is far different compared to other interims in recent years.
There is a legitimate uncurrent inside Halas Hall. Lots of people believe Brown isn’t just a temporary fill-in. He has the traits of a real head coach. Players have sensed it for weeks. According to Adam Jahns and Dianna Russini of The Athletic, even other coaches on the staff can feel it. Some within the organization think the Bears shouldn’t even bother with the interim tag. He’s the guy.
Thomas Brown, then the team’s passing game coordinator, was named offensive coordinator and provided an instant jolt for everyone involved in the offense. Even assistant coaches hired by Waldron quickly got on board with Brown. His communication style and leadership skills earned the respect of players and staff…
…The biggest change discussed among players is Brown’s leadership presence, something the Bears had been missing. One player suggested that the way Brown is during his news conferences is just a glimpse into how he functions behind the scenes. The Bears are bought in.
This was corroborated by Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. The vibe inside the building shifted almost instantly once it was learned Brown was in charge.
“The team will rally around Thomas,” one source said. “When he talks about keys to victory, you can feel his juice. Guys are going to come in next week and punch their ticket to go to work. I guarantee that.”
Since 2000, there have been 11 instances where an interim head coach was officially made the head coach. Of those 11, only five made the playoffs at least once. Only one (Doug Marrone in Jacksonville) reached a conference championship game. None reached a Super Bowl. That is a steep mountain for Thomas Brown to climb. None of the interim coaches who won the job ever achieved the ultimate goal of winning a championship. Marty Schottenheimer came the closest, reaching the AFC championship twice after taking over midway through the 1984 season in Cleveland. The players may love Brown, but it will take a lot for him to show he can get this organization over the hump.
