Bears request to interview Rams assistant Aubrey Pleasant |
After the Ben Johnson hire was made official, you started to hear the names being pieced together about who he wanted on his staff. From all accounts, it looks like Johnson will have one of the best staff members out there, and that all starts with the defensive coordinator. While Dennis Allen was the initial favorite to get the position, he hasn't officially reached an agreement with the Bears as he continues to keep his options open.
Knowing that the Bears also realize they must do their homework on other candidates, including Rams assistant coach Aubrey Pleasant, who is being brought in to interview for the Defensive Coordinator opening. Pleasant has been a part of the Rams twice staff since 2017, and from all accounts, he is a massive asset to the Sean McVay staff, which could be why the Bears are looking to bring him in. Currently, the Rams Passing Game Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach, Pleasant, played a significant role in why Chris Shula's defense was able to make the strides they made, and the Bears are hopeful to learn more about him and why he was so successful. Even if Allen remains the favorite candidate to get the job, Chicago needs a Plan B, so bringing in extra candidates is always a good idea before it's too late. Like many NFL coaches, Pleasant got his start in college, where he worked as a graduate assistant and then as the assistant defensive backs coach for the University of Michigan in 2011 and 2012. Following his time in Ann Arbor, Pleasant got his first taste of the NFL, where he became an intern with the Cleveland Browns for the 2013 season. While there isn't much information on what he did for the Browns, initial reports indicated that the organization loved what he did. Other teams felt the same as he was plucked by the Washington Commanders ahead of the 2014 season. That is where the initial connection to McVay came from, as Pleasant was an offensive assistant in 2013 before moving to defensive quality control coach from 2014-2016. It was in 2017 when Pleasant made the jump from Washington to Los Angeles, following McVay out west to join his staff. He was the cornerbacks coach with the Rams from 2017-2020 and then returned to the Rams in 2023, where he has been ever since. During his first and second stint, Pleasant bounced between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, where he continued to work with defensive backs and the passing game. To say his coaching journey has been diverse would be an understatement, but having the knowledge he has from some of the coaches he has worked for can't be overstated, as he is a very smart choice to interview for the defensive coordinator spot. Even if some feel he may not be ready to take over, Pleasant does have some connections to Johnson, as they were a part of the Lions staff together. Johnson must have confidence in his abilities; otherwise, he wouldn't request an interview for such an important position. Not only does working together in Detroit help, but given his time with the Packers, having a guy familiar with two of the three NFC North teams could be an advantage for future game planning. One of the biggest concerns about bringing him in is not having any previous defensive play-calling experience. You have seen that problem before with the Bears when Luke Getsy was brought in to call the offense with no prior experience and failed miserably. The same can be said about Alan Williams when Eberflus brought him in to call the defense; things didn't end well. Ideally, Johnson and the Bears are looking for an experienced staff member with previous play-calling experience. Even though Pleasant doesn't have any of that, he has minimal experience as a head coach. That experience came this past preseason when McVay elected to hand the preseason duties over to Pleasant, and he managed to pick up a 13-9 win in his first game in charge. Not only did McVay and the Rams love Pleasant enough to bring him back after leaving, but Pleasant has tons of respect for McVay and said this about his experience. “First, I would like to thank this organization. I want to thank (head) coach (Sean) McVay, but specifically I would like to thank (general manager) Les (Snead), (team president) Kevin (Demoff), and (vice president of football & business administration) Tony (Pastoors) for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to represent our organization for this game," Pleasant said recently. "It’s different when just one person as a head coach believes in you, but collectively as an organization in order to give you this opportunity, it does not sit very lightly for me, and I want to thank this organization for believing in me.” There are a lot of great football minds out there, and Pleasant may be one of those up-and-coming football minds looking for a new opportunity. Perhaps that opportunity comes with the Bears, and he can begin the next chapter of his coaching career.
