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Recent report about Bears head coach Matt Nagy may soothe Northwestern’s fears
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There might be one fewer opening for Pat Fitzgerald, this as the Northwestern head coach has become a name bantered about for NFL openings.
According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Chicago Bears could be trending towards keeping embattled head coach Matt Nagy. The roadmap for this scenario would entail the Bears winning at least one more game this season.
Multiple people around NFL believe the Bears will retain Matt Nagy for 2021, as a win over Jacksonville would ensure three seasons of at least eight wins. Final two weeks must play out but Nagy’s team responded to midseason struggles and coach appears well-positioned.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 27, 2020
The Bears are 7-7 and play the 1-13 Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon (New York Jets fans are praying for the upset, for what it’s worth).
Fitzgerald has been linked to a possible Bears opening, a potential move that makes some sense as Northwestern is in the backyard of Solider Field. The Wildcats are 6-2 and ranked No. 14 in the nation with a Citrus Bowl game against Auburn looming.
The 46-year old Fitzgerald has done a masterful job at Northwestern, a program that had long lingered at the bottom of the Big Ten. Not only did he take the Wildcats to the Big Ten Championship Game this season where they held a halftime lead over mighty Ohio State, but Northwestern has made a bowl game in five of their last six seasons.
That’s an impressive accomplishment, especially one at a school like Northwestern where academic prowess factors into recruiting.
Head coach of Northwestern since 2006, Fitzgerald owns a lifetime 105-81 record with a 4-5 mark in bowl games.