1. George “Papa Bear” Halas
Tenure: 1920-1929, 1933-1942, 1946-1955, 1958-1967
Record: 318-148-31
“Papa Bear,” the founder of the Bears, is one of the best coaches of all-time with six NFL championships, nine division championships and 324 career wins, second all-time behind Don Shula. Throughout his lengthy career Halas regularly put a good product on the field, out of the 40 teams he coached only six had losing seasons. In the 1940 NFL championship, Halas used his famous T-formation to beat the Washington Redskins by a record 73 points. Halas will forever be number one.
2. “Iron” Mike Ditka
Tenure: 1982-1992
Record: 112-68
Ditka, nicknamed “Da Coach,” led the Bears to their only Super Bowl championship in 1985, but critics say he should have won more. The Bears went to the playoffs seven times under Ditka yet they appeared in just one Super Bowl. The 1985 team made up for the missed opportunities with its domination. That Bears group lost one game all season and during the postseason they allowed an astounding 10 points in route to a championship. Although Ditka is a great NFL coach, he is a distant second to Halas.
3. Lovie Smith
Tenure: 2004-Present
Record: 63-49
Despite fan’s disapproval, Smith is the best Bears coach in recent memory. A group of ESPN football writers recently voted Smith the eighth best coach in the NFL. He has led the Bears to three division championships and one NFC championship. Each season Smith’s defense is solid, but the offense has diluted his team’s potential.
4. Ralph Jones Tenure: 1930-1932
Record: 24-10-7
Jones’ .706 winning percentage is the highest among all Bears coaches. He won the 1932 NFL championship and never had a losing season. Jones further developed Halas’ T-formation by putting players in motion. Jones promised Halas a championship within three years, after fulfilling the promise he left to become athletic director at Lake Forest College. Before football, Jones coached the Purdue Boilermakers basketball to a Big 10 championship and the University of Illinois to two Big 10 championships and one national championship in 1915.
5. Hunk Anderson/Luke Johnsos
Tenure: 1942-1945
Record: 24-12-2
While Halas served in the Armed Forces during WWII, assistants Johnsos and Anderson were promoted to co-head coaches. They took the Bears to two championship games and one championship title with Hall of Fame quarterback Sid Luckman. At the end of the war, Halas returned to the sidelines, and Johnsos and Anderson resumed their duties as assistants.
6. John “Paddy” Driscoll
Tenure:1956-1957
Record: 14-9-1
The former Chicago Bear player and assistant was promoted to head coach following Halas’ first retirement. Driscoll, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, took the team to the NFL championship in his first season. The Bears got clobbered by the New York “Football” Giants in the championship game 47 to 7. After an unsuccessful ’57 campaign, Driscoll was demoted and Halas returned to the sidelines again.
7. Jack Pardee
Tenure: 1975-1977
Record: 20-23
After seven consecutive losing seasons, the Bears hired Pardee and drafted Walter “Sweetness” Payton in hopes of a resurrection. The first season was a disaster, Pardee played Payton sparingly and the team finished 4-10. In 1976, Payton rushed for almost 1,400 yards and the team finished 7-7. The next season Pardee took the franchise to it’s first playoff appearance since 1963, only to quit and move onto the Redskins. He was fired after three seasons in Washington.
8. Neill Armstrong
Tenure: 1978-1981
Record: 30-35
Armstrong, a former Eagle, never put it all together in Chicago. In his four seasons the Bears were loaded with talent but Armstrong managed only one winning season. Armstrong’s most important contribution to the franchise was his hiring of defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, whose 46 defense dominated the 80s.
9. Dick Jauron
Tenure: 1999-2003
Record: 35-45
Jauron only had one good season with the organization, but it was the most exciting Bears’ seasons in recent memory. After losing the opening game to the Baltimore Ravens, the 2001 Bears finished the season 13-3. Although the team lost its only playoff game, the season was a miracle. But once again another Bears’ coach is doomed to mediocrity due to his offense’s inability to get on the board. Besides the 2001 season, the Bears scored over 30 points one time under Jauron. Kordell Stewart, Chris Chandler, Rex Grossman, Jim Miller, Henry Burris, Shane Matthews and Cade McNown all started at quarterback for Jauron, he never had a chance.
10. Dave Wannstedt
Tenure: 1993-1998
Record: 41-57
Wannstedt inherited a pretty good team from Ditka, then he drove it into the ground. In six seasons the former Dallas assistant led the Bears to one playoff appearance and 57 losses. It’s sad that he made the list.
All stats were provided by pro-football-reference.com
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