The Chicago Bears hired John Fox as their head coach on Friday, just days after he parted ways with the Denver Broncos.
The Bears reached an agreement on a four-year deal with Fox to become the 15th head coach in franchise history. The team will hold a news conference Monday.
Fox, 59, mutually parted ways with Denver on Monday — one day after the Broncos were bounced from the divisional round by the Indianapolis Colts, losing 24-13. It was the second time in three years that Fox’s Broncos had been knocked out in their first playoff game. In between, they reached the Super Bowl, where they were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks 43-8.
Fox went 46-18 and won four straight AFC West titles with the Broncos, but was unable to win a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning and a record-setting offense.
Before Denver, Fox was head coach of the Carolina Panthers for nine years from 2002 to 2010. He went 78-74 overall with the Panthers, including another Super Bowl runner-up appearance.
The Bears fired coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery after a 5-11 season. The team hired 37-year-old Ryan Pace, the New Orleans Saints’ director of pro personnel, to replace Emery last week.
As an NFL head coach over 13 years, Fox has a 119-89 regular-season record, six division titles, six double-digit win seasons and seven playoff appearances.
In the postseason, Fox is 8-7 record with three conference championship game appearances leading to two trips to the Super Bowl (XXXVIII with Carolina in 2003 and XLVIII with Denver in 2013). He is one of six coaches in NFL history to lead two different teams to Super Bowl appearances along with Don Shula, Bill Parcells, Dan Reeves, Dick Vermeil and Mike Holmgren.
The Broncos ranked in the top five in total offense in each of the last three seasons — fourth in 2012, first in 2013 and fourth in 2014 — and in the top five in total defense in two of the last three years — second in 2012 and third in 2014.
Under Fox as a head coach, coordinator and position coach, 37 players have earned a total of 72 Pro Bowl selections at 14 different positions during his coaching career.
The Bears also interviewed former Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase and Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.