Another name is in the mix for the Chicago Bears vacant offensive coordinator position. According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the Bears are meeting with Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown on Wednesday for the same position on Matt Eberflus’ staff.
Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is meeting with the Bears today about their vacant OC job, per league sources.
Brown also is set to interview this week with the Titans for their head coaching position.— Joe Person (@josephperson) January 17, 2024
Brown spent one season with the Panthers, joining Frank Reich’s staff last year. He was tasked with working alongside Reich to develop an offense around No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, but things went south in a hurry. The Panthers struggled out of the gate and turmoil began to engulf the coaching staff.
Initially, Reich called plays for the Panthers but gave up those duties to Brown before taking them back again. When Reich was fired, Brown took over as play caller permanently but had minimal success during their 2-15 season. Carolina ranked last in yards per game (265.3), passing yards per game (161.2), second-to-last in points per game (13.9), but did finish 20th in rushing yards per game (104.1).
That makes sense considering Brown worked as the running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams prior to his stint in Carolina. Brown was the assistant head coach and running backs coach from 2020–2021, helping them win Super Bowl LVI. He also coached the tight ends in 2022.
The 37-year-old coach has been considered an up-and-comer in the league, and last year’s debacle with the Panthers hasn’t deterred teams from inquiring about his services. Brown also has an interview scheduled with the Tennessee Titans for their head coaching vacancy.
Brown is now the sixth candidate for the Bears’ open offensive coordinator position, joining Shane Waldron, Liam Coen, Klint Kubiak, Greg Olson, and Greg Roman. Brown’s interview will also satisfy the league’s Rooney Rule, which was put in place for teams to interview minority candidates for coaching, coordinator, and front office positions.