Bears meet Vikes coach
By now, Bears fans might know the names of more NFL assistant coaches than any other fan base in the league.
Ready for the latest name to remember (and likely forget)? It's Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers, who is scheduled to interview for the Bears' offensive coordinator job today.
Rogers just finished his fourth season with the Vikings, where he was lauded for his work to rein in Brett Favre. That is, at least, until Favre threw his worst interception of the season in the final seconds of regulation in the NFC title game. Game over, season over.
Rogers, 58, has garnered most of his coaching experience in the college ranks. He spent 28 years coaching college players at schools such as Navy, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech before moving on to the NFL.
While at Syracuse, Rogers guided quarterback Donovan McNabb toward three consecutive seasons as the Big East offensive player of the year. He worked with All-American wide receiver Qadry Ismail at Syracuse and helped Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall set the school's all-time record in passing yards and touchdown passes in 2004.
The Bears have made it abundantly clear that they want to take their time in the search to replace former offensive coordinator Ron Turner. Expect the team to interview a few more candidates after Rogers, and it's possible that no one will be hired until after the Super Bowl.
Until then, we'll take longtime assistant coaches for $200, Alex.
-Tom Musick
