The Bears on Friday interviewed Ryan Poles for the general manager position and Leslie Frazier for the head-coaching job.
Poles has spent the last 13 seasons working with the Chiefs in various roles as a player personnel assistant (2009), college scouting administrator (2010-12), college scouting coordinator (2013-16), director of college scouting (2017), assistant director of player personnel (2018-20) and executive director of player personnel (2021-present).
Poles oversees all aspects of college scouting, assists in the pro process and prepares for free agency, in addition to helping general manager Brett Veach with the NFL Draft and overseeing the Chiefs' out-of-town area scouts. In Poles' lone season as Kansas City's director of college scouting (2017), the Chiefs traded up in the first round of the draft to select quarterback Patrick Mahomes at No. 10.
In each of the past six seasons, Kansas City has captured the AFC West Division title and recorded double-digit victories, winning two conference championships and one Super Bowl to cap the 2019 season.
Prior to joining the Chiefs, Poles served as a recruiting assistant at his alma mater, Boston College, where he played offensive tackle for five seasons (2003-07), protecting long-time Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
Poles signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008, but he did not make the final roster.
Frazier played all five of his NFL seasons as a cornerback with the Bears from 1981-85 after joining the team as an undrafted free agent from Alcorn State. Appearing in 65 games with 49 starts, he recorded 20 interceptions, returning two for touchdowns.
Frazier started all 16 games on the famed 1985 Bears defense that helped lead the franchise to its first Super Bowl championship. Unfortunately, he sustained a knee injury while returning a punt in Super Bowl XX that ended his playing career at age 26.
Frazier boasts 23 years of experience as an NFL coach, including the last four as Bills defensive coordinator, adding the title of assistant head coach in 2020. This season, Buffalo's defense led the league in both points allowed (17.0 per game) and total yards (272.8).
Prior to joining the Bills, Frazier served as Buccaneers defensive coordinator (2014-15) and Ravens defensive backs coach (2016).
Before that, he spent seven seasons with the Vikings, including three seasons as head coach (2011-13) after serving as interim head coach for the final six games in 2010 following the firing of Brad Childress.
In 2012, Frazier led the Vikings to a 10-6 record and a wild-card playoff berth. Running back Adrian Peterson was named NFL MVP after rushing for a career-high and league-leading 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns on 348 carries and catching 40 passes for 217 yards and one TD.
In Frazier's three full seasons in Minnesota, the Vikings' starting quarterbacks were Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel.
Frazier started his NFL coaching career as Eagles defensive backs coach (1999-2002) before serving as Bengals defensive coordinator (2003-04). He then joined the Colts as a defensive assistant in 2005 and was elevated to defensive backs coach/assistant head coach in 2006, when he won a Super Bowl ring when Indianapolis defeated the Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
Since beginning the search process nine days ago, the Bears have interviewed 11 candidates for the general manager position and eight for the head-coaching job:
Wednesday, Jan. 12
Glenn Cook (GM)
Doug Pederson (HC)
Thursday, Jan. 13
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (GM)
Champ Kelly (GM)
Friday, Jan. 14
Jeff Ireland (GM)
Brian Flores (HC)
Saturday, Jan. 15
Monti Ossenfort (GM)
Jim Caldwell (HC)
Nathaniel Hackett (HC)
Sunday, Jan. 16
Joe Schoen (GM)
Brian Daboll (HC)
Monday, Jan. 17
Ed Dodds (GM)
Matt Eberflus (HC)
Tuesday, Jan. 18
Eliot Wolf (GM)
Wednesday, Jan. 19
Ran Carthon (GM)
Thursday, Jan. 20
Reggie McKenzie (GM)
Byron Leftwich (HC)
Friday, Jan. 21
Ryan Poles (GM)
Leslie Frazier (HC)
