NFL

The Chicago Bears waited until their offensive coordinator search was wrapping up before embarking on one for a defensive coordinator. Head coach Matt Eberflus filled the void well after the departure of Alan Williams last September. That said, he would still need somebody to help keep things organized and take some responsibilities off his plate. Former Bears defensive back Chris Harris became their first interview. He worked as the Tennessee Titans passing game coordinator last season. He isn’t the only one, though. Word soon dropped that Titans assistant head coach/defensive line coach Terrell Williams was also getting a look.

While Harris seems like the obvious choice, given his connections both to Chicago and the Tampa-2 defensive scheme Eberflus runs, one can easily make the case that Williams is the stronger choice. One thing about a 4-3 defensive system is everything goes through the defensive line. When a team has a good one, the scheme works great. That is why the Bears have invested big resources into it, highlighted by the Montez Sweat trade. Common sense would dictate that your defensive coordinator should be a top expert on the defensive line, ensuring it will always play at peak performance.

That is what Williams would bring to the table.

Terrell Williams has a long, proven track record.

He’s been coaching the defensive line since 1998. In the many years since, he’s had a hand in developing several future NFL stars. It started at Purdue. Three of his players ended up becoming Pro Bowlers in the NFL: Anthony Spencer, Cliff Avril, and Ryan Kerrigan. Then he moved to Texas A&M, where he helped a young man named Von Miller become the #2 overall pick and future Hall of Famer.

The Oakland Raiders brought Terrell Williams to the NFL in 2012. While he never had much to work with there, he did help develop a rookie Khalil Mack in 2014. He moved to Miami, where he consistently got productive years from Olivier Vernon, Cameron Wake, Ndamukong Suh, and Andre Branch. Yet his best work was still to come.

It was in Tennessee where Williams cemented himself as a top defensive line coach. Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry would both develop into Pro Bowlers during his time there. DeMarcus Walker also achieved a career-high seven sacks in 2022 under his watch. The same goes for Denico Autry, who had 11.5 sacks this past season. Williams gets results. The Bears could do way worse if they make him their coordinator of choice.