The Chicago Bears once again looked to the college ranks to bolster
their coaching staff.
The Bears have hired former Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich as the
team's offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports
Thursday.
The move comes one day after Chicago hired Harry Hiestand as its
offensive line coach as part of the team's staff under new coach
Matt Nagy.
Helfrich served as the offensive coordinator for the Ducks from
2009-12 before being elevated to head coach after Chip Kelly left
for the Philadelphia Eagles. Helfrich won 33 games in his first
three seasons and went to the first College Football Playoff
championship game before being fired after going 4-8 during the
2016 campaign.
The 44-year-old Helfrich has not worked in the NFL but has spent
time as an assistant under Kelly and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers
coach Dirk Koetter. He worked under Koetter at Boise State in 1998
and then followed him to Arizona State.
Hiestand returned to the Bears after stints at the University of
Tennessee (2010-11) and Notre Dame (2012-17). He also previously
served as Chicago's offensive line coach from 2005 to 2009.
The Bears are looking to become more offensive-minded under Nagy,
who served as the offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs
prior to becoming the Bears' new head coach on Monday.
The Bears finished 5-11 in 2017 and have missed the postseason in
10 of the last 11 years. They have resided in last in the NFC North
four straight seasons.
