The Chicago Bears have recently made significant changes to their coaching staff, appointing Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator and Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator under the leadership of new head coach Ben Johnson. The team is also retaining Richard Hightower as the special teams coordinator as they aim to improve following a disappointing 5-12 season last year. These appointments were officially announced on Tuesday.
Dennis Allen, aged 52, adds a wealth of experience to Johnson’s inaugural coaching roster. Previously, Allen held the head coaching role with the New Orleans Saints, where he achieved an 18-25 record before being dismissed on November 4 due to a prolonged losing streak that saw the team drop seven straight games. His earlier tenure with the Raiders was not particularly successful either, culminating in an 8-28 record over two-plus seasons. However, Allen has a strong background as a defensive coordinator, having overseen the defensive unit in New Orleans for six years, helping the team secure top 10 defensive rankings during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
At 38, Johnson is in the process of assembling his coaching team after being appointed last week. He will be responsible for calling the offensive plays while overseeing quarterback Caleb Williams and the rest of the Bears’ offense. Johnson arrives at the franchise after a successful stint as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions over the previous three seasons.
Taking over the Bears, Johnson has the challenge of transforming a team that began the past season with playoff aspirations but instead finished at the bottom of the NFC North. The team parted ways with former coach Matt Eberflus during a challenging stretch that included a ten-game losing streak, which ended with a final-game victory against Green Bay.
Declan Doyle just wrapped up his second year as the tight ends coach with the Denver Broncos. In addition, Doyle has previous experience as an offensive assistant in New Orleans from 2019 to 2022. Before his transition into the NFL, he spent time as an offensive student assistant at the University of Iowa from 2016 to 2018, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management.
Richard Hightower, who has extensive experience as an NFL assistant, is also continuing his tenure with the Bears. Hightower has worked with several teams, including Houston, Washington, Cleveland, and San Francisco, primarily focused on special teams. He is entering his fourth year as the special teams coordinator for Chicago.
