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Brian Flores Given Best Odds to Be Next Chicago Bears Head Coach

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in NFL Football

Updated Jan 11, 2022 · 3:39 PM PST

Brian Flores
Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores guides his team from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
  • Brian Flores is the +300 favorite to be named the next head coach of the Chicago Bears
  • Flores was dismissed on Monday as head coach of the Miami Dolphins
  • Former Bears players Jim Harbaugh (+400) and Leslie Frazier (+500) are other leading contenders

One way or another, Brian Flores doesn’t figure to be an out-of-work football coach for long. Fired Monday by the Miami Dolphins, Flores will be a top contender for all available NFL head coaching positions.

In fact, the odds are already saying that he’s the favorite to be the next coach of the Chicago Bears. Flores is listed as the +300 chalk in the betting line on who will be hired by the Bears.

Next Chicago Bears Head Coach Odds

Coach Odds
Brian Flores +300
Jim Harbaugh +400
Doug Pederson +500
Leslie Frazier +500
Brian Daboll +550
Todd Bowles +800
Byron Leftwich +1150
Ryan Day +1300
Eric Bieniemy +1400
Pat Fitzgerald +1500
Kellen Moore +1650
Josh McDaniels +1900
Matt Eberflus +1900
Dave Toub +2000
Greg Roman +2250
Jerod Mayo +2500
Bill Belichick +4000

SBD Odds as of January 11

Former Bears players Jim Harbaugh (+400) and Leslie Frazier (+500) are other top contenders, as is Doug Pederson (+500). Pederson coached the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl title.

Flores Already In Line

The announcement that Flores was out in Miami had barely been revealed when news was leaking that he already had an interview lined up for the available position in Chicago.

On the surface, it might be fair to ask whether Flores is an upgrade on the departed Matt Nagy. Through four seasons at the helm of the Bears, Nagy was 34-31. He led them to an NFC North title and two postseason appearances.

Miami was the first NFL head-coaching gig for Flores. He was 24-25 over three seasons. His teams never made the playoffs, though they did post consecutive winning seasons in his last two seasons in charge. This season, the Dolphins rallied from a 1-7 start to finish 9-8.

Flores is considered a defensive guru. That’s a good fit in Chicago. The Bears have always been built around stifling, punishing defenses. However, Nagy’s downfall was his inability to generate any semblance of offense.

Another factor that could work in Flores’ favor. He spent the past two seasons grooming Miami’s QB of the future, 2020 first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa. In 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields, the Bears have their QB of the future in place.

Would Harbaugh Leave Michigan?

The love-hate relationship between Michigan Wolverines fans and coach Harbaugh is back into the infatuation stage. This season, for the first time ever, he beat Ohio State.

Harbaugh led the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff. Granted, eventual national champions Georgia put a smackdown on Michigan but Wolverines fans could still hold their heads high.

Harbaugh’s Bears legacy is well known. He was their first-round draft pick in 1987 and guided Chicago to a pair of playoff appearances.

Harbaugh already has a solid resume as an NFL head coach. He led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl apperance and won 70% of his games. The fact of the matter,  though, is he can stay in Michigan as long as he wants. The Wolverines might not be winning like they used to on a national scale but the school is making big bank with Harbaugh in charge.

However, word is that he’s itching to get back in the NFL. Harbaugh might be the ideal guru for Fields. There’s certainly a fit in Chicago – if it’s what Harbaugh wants.

What Will the Bears Do?

Certainly, an impact of the Chicago situation will be who the Bears opt to hire to replace GM Ryan Pace.

In the case of Flores, his departure from Miami was caused more by his disagreements with GM Chris Grier than the team’s on-field performance. Could that factor work against him as a new GM decides upon his first coaching hire?

The more you do the math, the more it adds up to Harbaugh. He might figure that this season is as good as it will get in Michigan – beating Ohio State, winning the Big Ten title and then getting crushed by an SEC power in the CFP.

Evidence is he’s seeking a return to the NFL. Harbaugh’s reputation is as a QB developer. And he’s got history with the Bears.

Pick: Jim Harbaugh +400

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