Warren on hiring Ben Johnson, Ryan Poles’ future with the Bears |
CHICAGO - President and CEO Kevin Warren was part of hiring Ben Johnson as Chicago’s next head coach.
He was able to speak with players and coaches who had previously worked with him and were coached by Johnson, and that left an impression on him. “It was about doing your homework, being prepared because when these deals, just like any other deal, happen, you need to be prepared and so to be able to talk with all of our candidates but especially with people that he played with in North Carolina, people that he worked with at Boston College, at Miami, at Detroit and one thing about it,” Warren said. “It’s one thing to interview a candidate, but it’s another thing to interview the people who have worked with him because they’re around him everyday. So, to talk to people that he’s coached, players, coaches that he has coached with, coaches that he coached with now, other administrators. One beautiful thing about the mosaic of the National Football League exhibits every single day - this is all woven into one beautiful tapestry and so, it’s not hard to be able to talk with people and get a sense about what the man is. Ben, his priorities are his faith, his family, his football, Chicago Bears and as you can see today, he’s proven in his work product, the way he handles his business, that this is going to be a very special journey as we go forward.” Since coming to Chicago, Warren has taken a lot of pride in the rich history of the Bears, including their founder, George “Papa Bear” Halas. Warren walks past the statue of Halas every day when he comes to work. Part of making this decision on the next head coach was about honoring Papa Bear Halas by returning the Bears to their former glory. They are also paying a pretty penny to do so, as Johnson is going to make upward of $13 million per season, according to Mike Florio from ProFootballTalk. “(Halas) was about innovation. He was about talent. He was about winning. He was about doing it the right way, and now, to Virginia McCaskey, Ed McCaskey, and George and the entire McCaskey family, this organization is built on history, tradition, and winning,” Warren said. “I also believe in being creative and I also believe you get what you pay for and so, this is a situational where we needed to make sure we got the number one candidate (for) the Chicago Bears and all the other financial issues, (we) just have to be smart with our money and make good decisions and when things work out well, no one ever talks about the finances and so, it’s up to us to make sure that we hire good assistant coaches, we got a world-class head coach, we have world-class players and we need to make sure that we honor (George Halas).” With general manager Ryan Poles nearing the end of his contract, it remains to be seen whether he will be extended now that the Bears have hired a head coach. While Warren did not give a straightforward answer, Poles’ future with the Bears looks bright. “We don’t talk about people’s employment. As you can see, Ryan is very comfortable,” Warren said. “He’s done an outstanding job and I look forward to continually working with Ben and Ryan and George for many years in the future.”
