LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- Tim Zetts always knew he'd receive a phone call like the one he got on Feb. 7, 2014 from his college roommate and close friend Luke Getsy.
"Bro, you'll never believe this," Zetts recalled Getsy saying. "I just got a job with the Packers."
It marked a major break for Getsy as he was hired for his first NFL position -- as an offensive quality control coach in Green Bay. Zetts believed in Getsy from their time together as quarterbacks at Akron and as they rose through the coaching ranks together. He knew great opportunities lay ahead for Getsy, who quickly made an impression on the entire Packers coaching staff.
"The reality of it is he came in on an interview, and he knocked it out of the park," said current Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who hired Getsy in 2014 while he led the Packers.
"I loved his disposition. He's very consistent, good with relationships. I thought so much of him."
Now 38, Getsy is set to begin his first season as the Bears' offensive coordinator. Shortly after landing the job, he called Zetts this past February and offered him a job as assistant tight ends coach.
Getsy's prominent role with the Bears is his most important professional step along the coaching ladder, but his ascension has been no coincidence. From his start as a graduate assistant at Akron to his arrival in Chicago, Getsy has carried himself with purpose.
"He's a heck of a leader," said new Bears quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, who was a quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh while Getsy was a graduate assistant there in 2010. "He's really smart. He's a good person, somebody that you're drawn to."
A Pittsburgh area native, Getsy transferred from Pitt to Akron in 2004 and became the Zips' starting quarterback once eligible a year later. Joe Moorhead, then an Akron assistant, was struck by Getsy's intelligence. The Zips coaches brought him in for their game-planning meetings each Monday and sought his input. That wasn't usual – but neither is Getsy.
As the starting quarterback, Getsy in 2005 led Akron to its only Mid-American Conference football championship. After being cut from the 49ers' roster in 2007, he was brought back to the Zips' program as a graduate assistant. That began a coaching career that those around Getsy believed would be fruitful.
Moorhead, who was promoted to be Akron's offensive coordinator in 2006, trusted in Getsy to both help form a game plan and even babysit his children. When Mississippi State hired Moorhead as its head coach in 2018, he called upon Getsy to serve as offensive coordinator.
"Luke's got a tremendous amount of quiet confidence," Moorhead said. "He's not a big rah-rah guy. He's not a big fist-through-the chalkboard guy. None of it's fake. It's all genuine."
Getsy's coaching career started like most -- by cutting his teeth in the business at low-profile schools. He became the offensive coordinator at West Virginia Wesleyan in 2009, spent a year at Pitt as a graduate assistant in 2010 for then-coach Dave Wannstedt, was the offensive coordinator for Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2011-'12 and then was brought in as wide receivers coach on P.J. Fleck's staff at Western Michigan in 2013.
Those positions weren't glamourous, and it can be challenging to see greener pastures ahead. Through their first three coaching stops together and weekly phone calls, Zetts was confident in Getsy's future as an NFL coach. He recognized the potential and saw a roommate who was constantly driven by purpose more than college nightlife, a natural leader who united teammates and friends alike.
Zetts saw Getsy was different.
"It's no surprise, really, that he's where he's at right now," Zetts said. "He's always been very driven, very motivated, but he also has a way about himself. He's been really poised and preparing himself for this opportunity.
"He has it. Like, what is it? It's hard to kind of explain, but he's always had a presence about himself. He's handled himself in a way that you knew – everybody knew this was going to happen.
"You never want to let him down, because you think that highly of him."
When McCarthy brought Getsy in for the interview in 2014, he saw a coach with tremendous potential. Getting his foot in the door as a quality control coach was just the beginning for Getsy. McCarthy promoted him to wide receivers coach in 2016, putting him in charge of a unit that included accomplished players like Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams.
Getsy immediately gained the respect of his players through a relatable approach that resonated with them. They notice his intelligence but also appreciated how he kept his teaching methods simple.
"Every one of these guys has a level of football IQ that they've been exposed to," McCarthy said. "The thing about Luke is he exudes confidence in everything he does."
After his one-year stint at Mississippi State in 2018, Getsy returned to Green Bay in 2019 as the quarterbacks coach for new head coach Matt LaFleur. In 2020, Getsy added the title of passing game coordinator, a role in which he oversaw star quarterback Aaron Rodgers win the MVP award in each of the last two seasons.
When Getsy was hired by the Bears in January to lead the offense for new head coach Matt Eberflus, a few Packers players were eager to follow. Former Green Bay receiver Equanimeous St. Brown agreed to sign with Chicago after a phone call from Getsy, whom he views as a "student of the game." Former Packer and veteran center Lucas Patrick also joined the Bears and shared the same respect for Getsy, in whom he sees an "unshakable" presence.
"It's really easy to go and run through a brick wall for a coach that you believe in," Patrick said.
As the Bears' new offensive coordinator, Getsy has been tasked with developing a system that's best-suited for second-year quarterback Justin Fields, the No. 11 overall pick in 2021, and creating an identity for a unit that ranked 27th in scoring last season.
Given that Eberflus is a defensive-minded head coach, hiring the right offensive coordinator for his Bears coaching staff was critical. Getsy was immediately the leading candidate. One day after being hired, Eberflus offered Getsy the job, according to a report. He was drawn to Getsy's scheme, which is similar to what the Packers have run under LaFleur's watch. But Eberflus was also drawn to Getsy's presence like so many before him.
The Bears share that same trust in Getsy.
"He's as cool as the other side of the pillow," Fields said. "He's a cool guy off the field. You can talk to him whenever. He's just awesome. He's always willing to make videos for us and make everything for everybody on the offense way easier, whether it's making install videos for us to look at home. He's always going the extra mile to make sure everybody else is good for the next day. I love him and he's definitely a great guy, for sure."
Added running back Khalil Herbert: "He's a players' coach. He gets us."
What's next for Getsy isn't so simple to predict. His poise has helped lead to his success in his coaching career, and that will be required in this new challenge. Growing pains are expected in 2022 as the Bears build out their new offense, and Fields' performance in his second season will largely dictate what happens regarding Chicago's hopes ahead.
But those who have followed Getsy's rise remain bullish on his future with the Bears, and there's great belief that this is also another step in his coaching career.
"No doubt about it," McCarthy said. "I think Luke is definitely on the path of being a head coach in this league."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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