When Dick Jauron was fired Monday, he mentioned how honored he was to have been head coach of the Bears. He also might have mentioned what a difficult job it is to follow George Halas.
Since Halas retired after the 1967 season, the Bears have had seven coaches. Only Mike Ditka left with a winning record and a championship, and even he got fired.
Jauron had only one playoff team, and the 13-3 team of 2001 didn’t win a postseason game. His regular-season record of 35-45 leaves him eighth among the 11 coaches in Bears history.
The fact that Ditka is the second-most successful coach in franchise history underscores the difficulty in predicting success. When he was hired in 1982, he was coaching the Dallas Cowboys’ receivers and special teams. Halas never forgot the passion for the game Ditka displayed as a Bears tight end in the 1960s. It’s safe to say Halas was the only owner who would have hired Ditka, widely perceived as a special-teams coach who couldn’t control his temper.
It was Halas’ best hire. Abe Gibron and Jim Dooley, well-regarded football men in their day, were promoted by Halas but failed miserably.
After he fired Ditka, Halas’ grandson, Michael McCaskey, hired two accomplished defensive coordinators. Over a combined 11 seasons, Dave Wannstedt and Jauron went to the playoffs three times and won one postseason game.
Here’s a look at the Bears’ coaches, in order of accomplisment and historical signifance:
1. George Halas
One of the NFL’s founders, he won 60 percent of his games in 40 years of coaching, split into four 10-year terms. He coached the Bears to six NFL titles.
2. Mike Ditka
Only Halas, who hired Ditka, coached the Bears to more victories. The 1985 Bears won Super Bowl XX, which remains the Bears’ only championship since Halas led them to the 1963 title.
3. Ralph Jones
Halas’ first successor was one of the game’s early innovators. He refined the T-formation and confounded opponents by putting Red Grange in motion. He coached only three years but kept a promise to Halas by winning a title.
4. Luke Johnsos/Heatley (Hunk) Anderson
The co-coaches kept Halas’ seat warm while he served in the Navy during World War II, and they led Bears to the title in ’43.
5. Jack Pardee
His 20-23 record doesn’t tell the story. With new general manager Jim Finks, he rebuilt the Bears into a playoff team in 1977, his third season. Then he bolted for his dream job: coach of the Redskins.
6. John (Paddy) Driscoll
He coached while Halas took two years off before his last decade of coaching. Under his watch, the Bears lost the NFL title game to the Giants 47-7 in ’56.
7. Dave Wannstedt
The former Dallas defensive coordinator had two 9-7 seasons, one playoff berth and one postseason win. He was fired after three straight losing seasons.
8. Dick Jauron
A former defensive coordinator, Jauron never got the offense going. Instability at quarterback was a big factor in having only one playoff team in five years.
9. Neill Armstrong
He inherited an improving young team but went to the playoffs only once in four years, losing a wild-card game. Hired by Finks, he was fired by Halas after two straight losing seasons.
10. Jim Dooley
He had a great technical football mind whose innovative ideas included the “Dooley shift”–the use of extra defensive backs in passing situations. He presided over the 1-13 debacle in 1969.
11. Abe Gibron
Another sound football man who just wasn’t a head coach. He won only 11 games in three years but did memorable car ads on TV.
Bears’ bosses
COACH YEARS RECORD PS
George Halas-a ’20-67 318-148 6-3
Ralph Jones ’30-32 24-10-7 0
Luke Johnsos-b ’42-45 23-11-2 1-1
John Driscoll ’56-57 14-9-1 0-1
Jim Dooley ’68-71 20-36 0
Abe Gibron ’72-74 11-30-1 0
Jack Pardee ’75-77 20-22 0-1
Neill Armstrong ’78-81 30-34 0-1
Mike Ditka ’82-92 112-68 6-6
Dave Wannstedt ’93-98 40-56 0-1
Dick Jauron ’99-03 35-45 0-1
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a–Halas (who also had 31 ties) coached from 1920-29; ’33-42; ’46-55; ’58-67
b–co-coach with Heartley Anderson
PS–postseason
Source: Bears.