Chuck Pagano sat out one season. That apparently was long enough away from coaching.
The Bears have hired Pagano as their new defensive coordinator, replacing Vic Fangio, the team announced Friday night.
Pagano, 58, spent six seasons as head coach of the Colts, going 53-43 in the regular season and 3-3 in the playoffs before Indianapolis fired him after the 2017 season. He spent last season as an NFL consultant.
“We are excited to add Chuck to our staff as defensive coordinator,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said in a statement. “He has successful experience at many different levels in this league, and he is a great teacher with an aggressive mentality that fits our style of football. He is a man of high character and has a passion for the game that will no doubt add to the culture we have already started building at Halas Hall.”
Pagano has coached in the NFL for 16 years.
The Bears interviewed current defensive backs coach Ed Donatell and had interest in Todd Bowles before Bowles took the coordinator job in Tampa.
