Bears hire Colts' Williams to be their defensive coordinator

Updated Feb. 2, 2022 5:10 p.m. ET

Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears hired Alan Williams as defensive coordinator under new coach Matt Eberflus on Wednesday.

Williams spent the past four seasons as the Colts' safeties coach while Eberflus was their defensive coordinator. It was his second stint with Indianapolis after coaching defensive backs for 10 seasons from 2002 to 2011.

Williams was Minnesota’s defensive coordinator in 2012 and 2013. He has 30 years of coaching experience, including 21 in the NFL.

Eberflus was hired last week for his first NFL head coaching job.

The Bears also added Dave Borgonzi and Chris Morgan to their staff on Wednesday. Borgonzi is going to coach the team’s linebackers, and Morgan is the new offensive line coach.

Williams replaces Sean Desai in Chicago and will call plays for a team transitioning to a 4-3 scheme that is drastically different from the 3-4 the Bears played over the past seven seasons. It reverts to a style they used for nine seasons under former coach Lovie Smith, who led the 2006 team to Chicago's most recent Super Bowl appearance.

Williams' two years as the Vikings defensive coordinator were unremarkable.

The Vikings made the playoffs at 10-6 in 2012 behind MVP running back Adrian Peterson. The defense finished 16th overall and tied for fifth in sacks and 14th in points allowed. That unit fell apart a year later, allowing 397.6 yards per game and finishing 31st in the league. The Vikings went 5-10-1, and coach Leslie Frazier lost his job after the season.

Williams has also worked for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001) and Detroit Lions (2014-17).

Borgonzi spent the past four seasons as Indianapolis' linebackers coach. He has also spent time with Tampa Bay (2014-17) and Dallas (2011-13).

Morgan was Atlanta's offensive line coach from 2015 to 2020 and Pittsburgh's assistant offensive line coach this season. He was also an assistant offensive line coach in Seattle (2014), Washington (2011-13) and Oakland (2009-10).

The Bears decided to make major changes following a 6-11 season, firing general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy. They hired new GM Ryan Poles out of Kansas City's front office and Eberflus, hoping they can turn around a franchise mired in mediocrity the past decade.

The Bears also brought in Philadelphia Eagles executive Ian Cunningham as their assistant GM and hired Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator.

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