Bears hire Pagano as defensive coordinator

After one year out of the NFL coaching ranks, Chuck Pagano was hired Friday as the Chicago Bears' new defensive coordinator.

The former Indianapolis Colts head coach takes over the role vacated when Vic Fangio was hired this week to be the head coach of the Denver Broncos.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy said in a statement, "We are excited to add Chuck to our staff as defensive coordinator. He has successful experience at many different levels in this league, and he is a great teacher with an aggressive mentality that fits our style of football. He is a man of high character and has a passion for the game that will no doubt add to the culture we have already started building at Halas Hall."

Multiple media outlets reported that Pagano got the job over Bears defensive backs coach Ed Donatell, who also was interviewed.

Pagano, 58, posted a 53-43 regular-season record with the Colts from 2012-17. He also had a 3-3 playoff mark. Pagano missed most of the 2012 season while undergoing treatment for leukemia.

However, after producing three consecutive 11-5 seasons and three playoff berths at the start of his tenure, Pagano watched his Colts experience a pair of 8-8 years followed by a 4-12 season in 2017 that led to his firing.

Pagano spent last year working as an NFL consultant.

He inherits a Chicago defense that was one of the league's best this season. Under Fangio, the Bears allowed the fewest points in the NFL, 17.7 per game. They finished third in total defense, allowing 299.7 yards per game, including a league-low 80 rushing yards per game.

The Bears also topped the NFL in takeaways (36) and lowest opponents' passer rating (72.9).

Pagano's coaching experience includes stints at the University of Southern California, Miami (Fla.), Boise State, East Carolina, UNLV and North Carolina in the 1980s and 1990s. He broke into the NFL as the Cleveland Browns' secondary coach from 2001-04, and he was the Oakland Raiders' defensive backs coach in 2005-06.

Pagano became the Ravens' secondary coach from 2008-10 before serving as Baltimore's defensive coordinator in 2011.

--Field Level Media