Kerry Joseph enters his first season as the quarterbacks coach for the Bears after spending the previous four seasons in Seattle. Joseph served as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the 2022 and 2023 seasons after spending one season as assistant wide receivers (2021), and offensive assistant/running backs (2020).
Joseph joined the Seahawks coaching staff in July 2020, following four years coaching at the college level and a 19-year professional football career (1996-2014).
In 2023, Joseph continued his success in guiding Geno Smith to his second career Pro Bowl, Smith's yards per game (241.6) ranked 11th during the 2023 season. He had seven go-ahead touchdowns in the fourth quarter or OT which were the most in a season in NFL history. Smith tied a franchise record with five game-winning drives in the 2023 season (at Detroit, 9/17; vs. Cleveland, 10/29; vs. Washington, 11/12; at Tennessee, 12/24; at Arizona, 1/7).
In 2022, he aided in the success of first-year Seahawks starter Geno Smith, who won the starting job in training camp and became a team's starter for the first time since 2014. Smith finished the season leading the NFL with career-highs in completion percentage (69.8), finished in the top five in touchdown passes (30), and passer rating (100.9), while setting franchise records with career-highs for completion percentage, passing yards (4,282), completions (399), and pass attempts (572). He became the first quarterback since Rich Gannon (1999) to earn his first Pro Bowl selection in Year 10 or later, and was named the 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year. Smith's production led to Seattle having two 1,000-yard receivers (Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Kenneth Walker III) for the second time in franchise history (1995).
Joseph opened his coaching career at his alma mater, McNeese State, where he spent three seasons as co-offensive coordinator (2016-18). In 2016 and 2017, his duties included working with the team's wide receivers, while he coached quarterbacks in 2018. He also served training camp internships with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Following a three year stint at McNeese State, Joseph joined SE Louisiana State's coaching staff as the passing game coordinator/running backs coach for the 2019 season.
A native of New Iberia, La., he joined the coaching ranks after a near two-decade professional career that saw him play in the NFL, CFL, NFL Europe and World League.
He spent time playing quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1996 before spending the majority of his NFL career as a safety with the Seattle Seahawks (1998-2001), playing in 56 games with 14 starts from 1998-2001. He posted 143 tackles, one sack and three interceptions in his four-year NFL career.
Following his time in the NFL, Joseph spent his playing career in Canada, excelling as a quarterback. During the 2007 season as a member of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders, he was named the CFL's Outstanding Player, helping the Roughriders to their third Grey Cup in club history.
As a quarterback at McNeese State from 1992-95, Joseph led the Cowboys to 41 wins and three Southland Conference titles as a starter. During his time under center, McNeese won its first playoff game in school history (1992) and advanced to the national semifinals for the first time in 1995.
The Southland Conference and Louisiana Player of the Year as a senior, Joseph helped that 1995 Cowboys squad to a 13-1 record, as McNeese spent the majority of the season ranked No. 1 nationally. A 2012 Southland Conference Hall of Honor inductee and a member of the McNeese Sports Hall of Fame, Joseph threw for 7,874 yards and a school record 67 touchdown passes during his four years in Lake Charles.
Joseph and his wife, Courtney, are proud Louisiana natives.
