Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy has added some college flavor to his staff.
The Bears hired former Oregon Ducks coach Mark Helfrich to be their new offensive coordinator, the team announced Friday.
The 44-year-old Helfrich was the head coach of the Ducks from 2013 to 2016 after working for four years as OC under Chip Kelly. Helfrich also worked with current Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter at Arizona State from 2001-2005.
Hiring Helfrich to help develop quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and run a multifaceted offense underscores Nagy's willingness to incorporate college facets into the pro game. In Kansas City under Andy Reid, the Chiefs were consistently at the forefront of incorporating collegiate concepts.
Nagy noted at his introductory news conference that he plans to call plays.
With Nagy's years of working under Reid and Helfrich's background in the fast-paced Chip Kelly-style, a blend of West Coast principles and spread offense should make the Bears' offense exponentially more enjoyable to watch in 2018.
In addition to Helfrich, the Bears also added Chris Tabor as special teams coordinator and Charles London as running backs coach. Tabor spent the last seven seasons as the Cleveland Browns' special teams coordinator and previously worked with the Bears as a special teams assistant from 2008-10. London served as the Houston Texans' running backs coach for the last four seasons.
