Ryan Poles didn't waste any time beginning his search for a new head coach.
On the same day he was hired as Bears general manager, Poles on Tuesday interviewed Jim Caldwell for the team's head-coaching position.
It was the Bears' second interview with Caldwell, who had met with the club's five-person search team Jan. 15.
Caldwell has 19 years of NFL coaching experience, including seven as a head coach with the Colts (2009-11) and Lions (2014-17). He compiled a 62-50 regular-season record, 26-22 with Indianapolis and 36-28 with Detroit. In addition, he is 2-4 all-time in the playoffs, 2-2 with the Colts and 0-2 with the Lions.
Caldwell led Indianapolis to back-to-back AFC South Division championships in his first two seasons. He later guided Detroit to three winning campaigns in four years, equaling the number of winning seasons the Lions had in the 18 years before his arrival (1996-2013) combined with the four seasons since his departure (2018-21).
Caldwell began his NFL coaching career in 2001 with the Buccaneers as quarterbacks coach on Tony Dungy's staff. He followed Dungy to Indianapolis in 2002, serving as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach from 2002-08 before succeeding the retiring Dungy as head coach.
After leaving the Colts, Caldwell joined the Ravens, serving as quarterbacks coach and interim offensive coordinator in 2012 and offensive coordinator in 2013. Caldwell spent the next four seasons as Lions head coach before working with the Dolphins as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach in 2019.
Caldwell has won two Super Bowl rings as an assistant coach, with the Colts to cap the 2006 season and with the Ravens to conclude the 2012 campaign.
Prior to joining the NFL, Caldwell spent 24 seasons as a college coach, working at Iowa as a graduate assistant (1977), Southern Illinois as receivers coach (1978-80), Northwestern as an offensive assistant (1981), Colorado as receivers coach (1982-84), Louisville as receivers coach (1985), Penn State as quarterbacks coach (1986-92) and Wake Forest as head coach (1993-2000).
As a player, Caldwell was a four-year starting defensive back at Iowa from 1973-76.
