The best coaching candidate Andy Reid's ever had? Matt Nagy thanks mentor after receiving high praise

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The Andy Reid coaching tree has many branches, but the man himself thinks Matt Nagy might be the best one yet.

Word got out in recent days that Reid believed the news Bears head coach to be the best coaching candidate he's ever had, high praise from a guy who counts John Harbaugh, Ron Rivera and Doug Pederson, among others, as former assistants.

Nagy was asked about that assessment during his introductory press conference Tuesday at Halas Hall and how difficult it is to live up to that kind of hype.

"How difficult do you think it is?" Nagy said to laughter. "Yeah, I love him to death but woo.

"Hey, that’s a challenge, though, right? That’s a challenge. He gave me an opportunity in this league in 2010. He gave me an opportunity. And I told him I’m not going to let him down. And when I hugged him yesterday, told him I loved him, I said 'I’m not going to let you down.' And I’m going to stick to that."

Nagy spent his entire career as an NFL assistant under Reid with both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, so it's no surprise that he shares such a strong relationship with Reid.

The Bears are hoping they become the next team to benefit from hiring a former Reid assistant. Harbaugh won the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens to cap the 2012 season. Rivera took the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl two seasons ago. And Pederson currently has the Eagles in the No. 1 spot on the NFC side of this year's playoff bracket. Other former Reid assistants include Sean McDermott, who took the Buffalo Bills to the postseason this year, and Pat Shurmur, the Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator and former Cleveland Browns head coach who also interviewed for the Bears job before it went to Nagy.

If Nagy can deliver those kinds of results, the Bears' choice will be proven a good one. And it will be another Reid disciple making good as a head coach.

"Coach Reid, my mentor, the best," Nagy said Tuesday. "Words don’t do it justice, he’s my guy."

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