Chicago Bears Finally Add Much-Needed Help To Defensive Staff

Matt Eberflus promised the Chicago Bears would bring in some help for the defensive coaching staff at some point soon. It wouldn’t be a new coordinator to replace Alan Williams. Eberflus himself made it clear he’ll handle those duties the rest of the season. However, the head coach wanted somebody who could be a senior analyst. Their job would be to do advanced scouting of future opponents and bring different ideas to the table. This way, the Bears defense could be better prepared each week.

It took some time, but they finally got their guy. Eberflus revealed the team has hired long-time defensive coach Phil Snow for the position. The 67-year-old has a wealth of experience at both the college and NFL levels going all the way back to 1979. Eberflus has ties to him through former Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. He and Snow worked together in Detroit. Snow most recently served as defensive coordinator in Carolina from 2020 through 2022, producing the #2 overall defense in 2021.

Phil Snow has been hired as the #Bears defensive analyst.

— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) October 16, 2023

Also, Eberflus said Phil Snow, the defensive coordinator for the #Panthers the last 3 seasons, has been hired as a senior defensive analyst. He will help with advance scouting. Snow also worked previously for the #Lions and has a lot of college experience.

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) October 16, 2023

Jeremy Chinn was straight BALLIN as a linebacker in a Phil Snow defense in 2020.

He will almost certainly be a Pro Bowler under Ejiro Evero ???????? pic.twitter.com/SEng2hMhLH

— The Way I See It (@704SportsGuy) May 15, 2023

Absolute discipline by Phil Snow’s defense. Energy off the damn charts. pic.twitter.com/ZlPMHhkMTD

— John Ellis (@1PantherPlace) November 14, 2021

The Chicago Bears are getting an ageless veteran.

Snow isn’t going to solve their personnel issues. However, his wealth of experience alone is worth whatever money they’re paying him. He’s been a coordinator at no fewer than nine different stops. It became a common occurrence to see his defense eventually become one of the best in the conference. UCLA, Temple, and Baylor all saw similar results. He helped produce several future NFL players, including Terell Suggs and Haason Reddick. It’s pretty clear he has a knack for coaching up pass rushers, which is something the Bears desperately need.

Nobody should expect Snow’s arrival to drastically change the team’s fortunes. That was set in stone long ago. They still need lots of high-level talent before this thing gets turned around. Still, having somebody of his experience should help keep the defense at a more reasonable level of performance. He’s known for creative scheming and his ability to get guys motivated. The man should be a big asset.