Bears already targeting head coaches

The Bears have already lined up or requested interviews with Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase and Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

The organization's preference is to hire a new general manager first, but team officials say they will deviate from that plan if they feel the need to move immediately to secure the right coach.

Here's a closer look at potential candidates:

Dan Quinn, Seahawks

The 44-year-old Quinn is scheduled to interview with the Bears on Friday and has already met with the San Francisco 49ers. He also has interviews lined up with the New York Jets (Friday) and Atlanta Falcons (Saturday).

Quinn's 2014 defense was No. 1 in the NFL in total yards, yards per play, passing yards and points allowed. The Seahawks also allowed the fewest points and yards in 2013, his first year as coordinator. That season the Seahawks became the first team since the 1985 Bears to lead the league in points allowed (231), yards allowed (4,378) and takeaways (39).

Quinn's first four years as an NFL coach were with the 49ers as a defensive quality control coach, and then as the D-line coach. He also was a defensive line coach with the Miami Dolphins in 2005-06 and the Jets in 2007-08. After two years with the Seahawks as the D-line coach and assistant head coach, Quinn was the Florida Gators' defensive coordinator from 2011-12 before rejoining Seattle.

Todd Bowles, Arizona

Bowles would already be on the Bears' staff had recently fired general manager Phil Emery hired Bruce Arians two years ago instead of Marc Trestman. Arians wound up as the Cardinals' head coach and, with the help of a Bowles, established a defense that finished fifth in fewest points allowed and made the playoffs with an 11-5 record.

Arizona's defense was only 24th in total yards allowed and passing yards allowed this season, but it was No. 4 in points allowed, No. 8 in rushing yards allowed and interception percentage and No. 9 in third-down efficiency.

Since the Cardinals play Carolina this week in the wild-card round of the playoffs, Bowles, 51, cannot interview until next week at the earliest.

He is completing just his second season in his current position, but he previously was an assistant with the Jets, Browns, Cowboys, Dolphins and Eagles. Bowles played eight years at safety and in Super Bowl XXII with Washington.

Adam Gase, Denver

In addition to meeting with the Bears on Saturday in Denver, Gase is scheduled to interview with the Falcons and 49ers. He's just 36 but already in his sixth season with the Broncos (second as coordinator). In 2013, the Broncos averaged 37.9 points per game and were AFC champs, and they averaged 30.1 points this season. With future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning throwing to Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Wes Welker and Eric Decker (2013), it's debatable how much credit for Denver's success should go to Gase.

In 2009, his first year in Denver as the wide receivers coach, Gase worked with Brandon Marshall. Before that he was with the 49ers in 2008 and Detroit (2005-07).

Dave Toub, Kansas City

Mike Ditka isn't the only special teams coach who went directly from that job to spectacular success as an NFL head coach. John Harbaugh was Philadelphia's special teams coordinator for nine years before he became a head coach in Baltimore, where he has guided the Ravens to the playoffs in six of his seven seasons.

Toub's special teams have consistently outperformed anyone else in the NFL. In that position, he has extensive experience in molding ever-changing parts into a high-functioning unit.

In two years with Toub, the Chiefs have 6 return TDs (the Bears had 2). The 52-year-old Toub is expected to have offers, and he would be missed, as punter Dustin Colquitt told the Kansas City Star.

"I told him ... 'Don't you be going anywhere on me,' " Colquitt said. "He's done a lot of great things in Kansas City. (Coach) Andy (Reid) really trusts Dave. You can see those guys ... they have a great monster going on in Kansas City."

Toub interviewed for the head-coaching job with Miami in 2011 and the Bears in 2013.

"I think he'd be phenomenal," Reid told the Star. "I'd put him in that John Harbaugh category. I think the special-teams coaches are probably as ready as anybody to be head coaches because they have to deal with (the media) and your whole staff."

In his nine years as the Bears' special teams coordinator, Toub's units finished No. 1 in 2006 and '07 based on the comprehensive evaluation system devised by The Dallas Morning News' Rick Gosselin. The Bears were in the top third of those rankings for eight straight years, and last year's Chiefs team finished No. 3.

Rex Ryan

In his first two years with the Jets, Ryan got his team to the AFC championship game with Mark Sanchez at quarterback. Ryan, 52, would have more talent on offense in Chicago than he ever did in New York. In five of his six seasons with the Jets, Ryan's defenses finished in the top 10. He's fond of the "ground and pound" approach to offense and would bring a swagger back to Halas Hall.

Unlike each of the previous nine head coaches hired by the Bears, Ryan has head-coaching experience.

Ryan attended Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire while his father, Buddy Ryan, was constructing the Bears' "46" defense that paved the way to the team's last Super Bowl-winning season in 1985.

Todd Haley, Pittsburgh

The volatile Haley was the Bears' wide receivers coach from 2001-03. Another candidate with head-coaching experience (Chiefs), Haley, 47, has been the Steelers' offensive coordinator since 2012. The Steelers were No. 2 in total yards and passing yards and No. 7 in points this year.

After leaving the Bears, Haley was the Cowboys' wide receivers coach from 2004-06 and the Cardinals' offensive coordinator from 2007-08. In his final season in Arizona, the Cardinals made their first Super Bowl, and Haley's offense was No. 3 in scoring with a team-record 427 points. They topped 30 points in each of their playoff games leading up to their 27-23 Super Bowl loss to the Steelers.

That earned him a four-year deal as the Chiefs' head coach, but he was fired in Season Three after a 5-8 start just a year after going 10-6 in 2010.

Gary Kubiak, Baltimore

In 2014, the Ravens were No. 7 in rushing yards, No. 8 in scoring and 10th in total yards. The 53-year-old Kubiak was the Texans' head coach for nearly eight years (2006-13), compiling a 61-64 record and making the postseason in 2011 and '12 but getting fired after a 2-11 start in 2013.

Before Houston, Kubiak was the Broncos' offensive coordinator for 11 years, and the quarterbacks coach for the first eight years in Denver. The Broncos won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and '98 with John Elway.

Before he coached Elway, Kubiak played nine NFL seasons as the Broncos' backup quarterback behind Elway.

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