Fox may consider these candidates for coaching staff
The first job for the Bears' John Fox is assembling a staff, and there will be some scrambling around the league since six other teams will eventually have new head coaches.
Fox was the fifth to be hired, but he has the advantage of 26 years in the league, including 13 as a head coach, so he should have a lengthy list of assistants to consider.
The following are possible candidates:
Defensive coordinator
Dennis Allen, 42. He was Fox's defensive coordinator in Denver in 2011 before he left to become the Raiders' head coach. He was fired by the Raiders after four games this season following an 0-4 start that left him with an 8-28 record. Allen has a history with Bears general manager Ryan Pace. He spent five seasons with the Saints, two as the assistant D-line coach and three as the secondary coach, while Pace was in the personnel department.
Vic Fangio, 56. Bears have requested an interview, and if they get Fangio it would be huge. In the past four years his 49ers' defense has ranked 4th, 3rd, 5th and 5th. He has coached 28 years in the NFL, mostly as a coordinator.
Mike Smith, 55. He was fired after seven seasons as head coach of the Falcons, but he will be in great demand as a D-coordinator around the league. Despite back-to-back 4-12, 6-10 seasons, Smith left the Falcons with a 66-46 record and made the playoffs four times, although he was just 1-4 in the postseason.
Mike Nolan, 55. The Falcons' defensive coordinator is still under contract but does not expect to be retained by whoever is brought in to replace Smith. Nolan has spent 17 years as a defensive coordinator with seven teams. He was the 49ers' head coach from 2005-08 but was fired midway through his fourth season with a combined 18-37 record.
Mike Trgovac, 55. He was Fox's defensive line coach in Carolina and was promoted to defensive coordinator when Jack Del Rio gave up that job to become the Jaguars' head coach in 2003. Trgovac has been the Packers' defensive line coach for the past six seasons and has 20 years' experience as an NFL coach.
Offensive coordinators
Kyle Shanahan, 35. After just one season as the Browns' offensive coordinator, he resigned, allegedly over differences of opinion on how best to utilize rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel. He declined an opportunity to interview for the 49ers' OC position. Despite his youth, Shanahan has seven years' coaching experience in the NFL.
Mike Mularkey, 53. The Titans denied a request for their tight ends coach to interview with the Buccaneers, so they might nix the Bears' request as well. But Mularkey has spent 21 years as a coach in the league, including three as a head coach, two with the Bills and one with the Jaguars. He played tight end for nine years, mostly with the Vikings.
Greg Knapp, 51. He has 20 years in the league, the previous two as the Broncos' quarterbacks coach, so he has a connection with Fox. Knapp has also spent 10 years as an offensive coordinator.
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