The Chicago Bears’ coaching staff is starting to take shape after new head coach Ben Johnson made his first significant move on Sunday.
On January 26, Johnson brought in former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen to serve as the team’s defensive coordinator.
“Sources: The [Bears] are hiring former [Saints] head coach and respected guru Dennis Allen as their new defensive coordinator,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported via X. “The favorite to join coach Ben Johnson’s staff since Johnson’s hire, Allen adds experience and a top-notch DC to Chicago.”
Allen has six years of head coaching experience in the NFL, having led the Las Vegas Raiders (then in Oakland) from 2012-2014 and the Saints from 2022-2024. His head coaching record is 26-53, with both organizations dismissing him midway through his third season.
In addition to his head coaching tenure, Allen brings seven years of experience as a defensive coordinator, including one season with the Denver Broncos (2011) and six with the Saints (2016-2021).
Ben Johnson Also Finalized Offensive Coordinator Decision
While Johnson’s defensive coordinator hire was always going to draw more attention, as he is expected to design the offense and call plays, the new Bears head coach also finalized his choice for offensive coordinator on Sunday.
Johnson named 28-year-old Declan Doyle to the position. Doyle spent the last two seasons coaching tight ends for the Denver Broncos and previously worked as an offensive assistant with the Saints for four years.
“It’s going to be critical for me to find somebody that can organize and structure and set the table, particularly early in the week,” Johnson explained prior to the hire, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “I have been around a number of guys that have called plays in the past and I’ve seen the potential pitfalls that could arise.”
Ben Johnson Admits He’d Never Met Dennis Allen Before Hiring Him
Before officially hiring Allen on Sunday, Johnson openly acknowledged that he had never met the former Saints head coach and defensive coordinator.
“I’ve never coached with [Allen]. I’ve never met him,” Johnson admitted. “But I would tell you we faced that defense a year ago when he was in New Orleans and gained a lot of respect for it.
I think everywhere he has been along the way, they have been a top third-down team, a top red zone team. So there are a lot of pillars about what he does schematically that would be appealing to me. He has worked with Aaron Glenn. He has worked with Dan Campbell. Both speak very highly of him.”
Glenn served as the Lions’ defensive coordinator during Johnson’s time in Detroit, while Campbell is the team’s head coach.
