(670 The Score) The Bears have made an adjustment to their organizational structure, as their new general manager will now report directly to chairman George McCaskey, who announced the news at a press conference Monday.
Team president Ted Phillips was previously the direct line between ownership and the general manager. Now, he's set to have less interaction with the new general manager as he continues to focus on business operations, notably the Bears' quest to build a new stadium at 326-acre Arlington Park. However, Phillips will still be part of a search group for the Bears as they seek their next general manager and coach.
McCaskey’s search team will include Phillips, Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian as an outside consultant, director of player engagement LaMar “Soup” Campbell and and senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion Tanesha Wade. McCaskey emphasized it's ultimately his final decision on which candidates the Bears will hire.
“We’re confident that with the experience we’ve gained, with the makeup of our search team, we will find a general manager and head coach who will lead us to the success that all Bears fans deserve,” McCaskey said.
McCaskey spoke for one hour Monday afternoon following the Bears’ firings of general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy. Pace was hired by the Bears in January 2015 after being identified by a search group that included McCaskey, Phillips and former league executive Ernie Accorsi, who was 73 at the time. Polian is 79 years old now. Pace led the hiring of Nagy in January 2018.
The Bears prefer to hire a general manager first but won't hesitate to pursue a coveted head coach initially if they see the right candidate, McCaskey said.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.