As George McCaskey embarks on the seek for the primary new Chicago Bears President in additional than twenty years — and the primary one he could have employed personally — he’s maintaining prospects open.
The Bears Chairman stated members of the search crew, who have been assembled to discover a alternative for retiring President and CEO Ted Phillips, are “not locked into a business or football person.”
They’re open to each in-house and exterior candidates.
They’re not going to rent or eradicate somebody primarily based on their availability to affix the crew by Phillips’ retirement date of Feb. 28.
And they might take into account a candidate who doesn’t have expertise with a stadium venture just like the one the Bears are exploring in Arlington Heights, if that individual may rent the fitting individuals to guide it.
So what precisely are the Bears in search of?
“Leadership, vision, humility, consensus building,” McCaskey stated.
McCaskey and Phillips sat down with the Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times in a Halas Hall convention room Friday to debate Phillips’ announcement final week that he’ll retire on the finish of the 2022 season after 40 years with the crew and 23 as president.
The Bears’ search crew has been established: McCaskey, Phillips, Bears senior vp of variety, fairness and inclusion Tanesha Wade and search agency Nolan Partners. McCaskey stated the group has delved deep into discussions, however he doesn’t anticipate the crew to announce interviews alongside the way in which, because it did with teaching and normal supervisor candidates within the winter.
McCaskey desires to maintain an open thoughts concerning the {qualifications} of Phillips’ successor, however Phillips added just a few extra particulars about what he thinks the Bears ought to search for, past “Ted 2.0,” as McCaskey joked.
“Someone that can make tough decisions,” Phillips stated. “Someone who can deal with numerous totally different balls within the air every day as a result of on daily basis is totally different. Someone who understands what it means to be a Bear. Culture right here is essential.
“Someone that’s able to deal with different personalities from politicians to business leaders to the media. It’s not easy, so we need someone who can understand all those different dynamics. Someone who can groom younger people. I think about that because I got a lot of great opportunities when I was younger and through my whole career, obviously. So I love that, and I think that’s important for someone to be able to come in and listen more than they talk and learn from others, including those who aren’t at the same level as them.”
McCaskey did reveal one different most notable element of the Bears’ plans: “We don’t anticipate any change in the structure.”
That means McCaskey doesn’t anticipate the Bears to create separate presidents of enterprise and soccer operations. Whether the brand new president has each enterprise and soccer expertise, nonetheless, is feasible.
It’s an element that shall be intently watched as a result of it was one of many major criticisms of Phillips’ profession, which has been marked by the Bears’ monetary progress but in addition a 177-192 regular-season file.
‘I don’t have regrets’
Phillips has heard and browse the road over time. The man who began his profession in finance politely appeared to confess it rankles him somewhat bit.
“Everyone says I’m not a football guy. It makes me chuckle a little bit,” Phillips stated. “I’m not a coach. I’m not an evaluator. I’ve been in the business for 40 years, and I think I’ve learned a little bit. I’ve never made the decisions of who should coach and who should play. So I guess that’s what I’m saying, the people that write that, I don’t quite understand it. But it’s OK.”
His critics would have been targeted on that much less if the Bears had gained extra beneath Phillips.
Since Phillips was employed in 1999 to interchange Michael McCaskey, the Bears have made six playoff appearances, had 12 shedding seasons and haven’t gained a playoff recreation because the 2010 season. They had one Super Bowl look within the 2006 season.
Phillips has guided loads of enterprise progress, together with the 2002-03 Soldier Field renovations, the growth of Halas Hall and the exploration of the previous Arlington International Racecourse property as a web site for a brand new stadium.
And McCaskey stated he appreciated Phillips’ skill to make robust selections and deal with varied personalities.
But Phillips’ tenure all the time shall be clouded by the Bears not profitable sufficient, and questions stay about whether or not Phillips may have carried out something in a different way to assist the overall managers that reported to him and higher arrange the crew for fulfillment on the sector.
“I don’t have regrets. I don’t operate that way,” Phillips stated. “Am I disappointed? Absolutely. We haven’t been able to find a consistently winning team. We’ve had moments of success that have been really fun to be around, but whether or not the structure would have made a difference, I’m not convinced that it would. I think you need a football decision-maker, which we’ve always had. And at some point that person always reports up to ownership.”
The criticisms peaked after a January 2021 information convention during which McCaskey and Phillips mentioned retaining former GM Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy for the following season.
Phillips was requested then about the place to attract the road when leaders make missteps. In a prolonged quote during which he talked about believing within the soccer tradition Pace and Nagy created, Phillips uttered just a few sentences that grew to become fodder for Bears ire throughout Chicago.
“Have we gotten the quarterback situation completely right? No. Have we won enough games? No. Everything else is there,” Phillips stated.
On Friday, Phillips maintained the remainder of the quote was wanted for correct context, noting he was speaking about how Pace and Nagy “brought a lot of good things to the organization.” But he additionally acknowledged one of many largest issues of the Pace period.
“Some of the mistakes that were made were high-profile mistakes,” Phillips stated. “Those are tough to come back from. The Achilles’ heel, the one thing I’d change: Get the quarterback right, please. That’s what I’d change. It hurts when you see. … I think since the (1985) Super Bowl year there’s been 45 different starting quarterbacks. OK? It’s disappointing. Hopefully, we’ve got that right now.”
Phillips additionally hopes the Bears have it proper with new normal supervisor Ryan Poles, whom the Bears requested to report on to McCaskey as Phillips focuses on the stadium venture.
Phillips credited Poles with placing collectively an excellent workers, which incorporates the Bears’ first assistant normal supervisor in Ian Cunningham.
And that’s the place Phillips supplied reflection on what may have been carried out with the opposite GMs earlier than Poles — and what a crew president may do sooner or later.
“Would I do something differently? No. Maybe encourage past GMs to make sure they’ve got the right people in place who can have a lot of influence and listen to them,” Phillips stated. “Again, we’ve taken the approach that the GM is the final decision-maker. I don’t see that being an issue if they make the right choices going forward.”
‘Hard to say no’
Phillips stated he wished to offer himself the present of time, so when he retires, his first plan is to “take a breath.”
“It’s a high-pressure job and I wanted to retire when I still felt good, physically and mentally. And I do,” he stated. “So that was important to me, to start a new chapter.”
The proven fact that the complete Arlington stadium and leisure district venture may take 10 or extra years to finish was another excuse Phillips thought of leaving when he did.
McCaskey and Phillips regularly referenced how a lot work there’s to be carried out earlier than the Bears can shut on the property and develop it, although McCaskey let on his enthusiasm when requested concerning the Bears’ alternative to construct their very own residence after enjoying for many years at Wrigley Field and Soldier Field — venues not initially constructed for his or her crew.
“This is our 100-year opportunity to design it for us,” McCaskey stated.
As the Bears work on closing on the property doubtlessly originally of 2023, Phillips and McCaskey stated they haven’t but designed the stadium and haven’t accomplished their monetary evaluation of potential funding for the multibillion greenback venture. And they’re removed from figuring out finer particulars corresponding to what is going to occur to private seat license holders, although Phillips stated, “We will come up with a plan that we hope will be beneficial to the long-term PSL holders we currently have.”
But Phillips believes the handoff of the venture to a brand new president gained’t be troublesome and stated there are lots of different Bears staff engaged on varied facets that may assist the transition.
“I believe, I hope, that by the time I retire this project will be in a place where we know if we’re going to close, maybe we have closed, hopefully we have closed,” Phillips stated. “And that there’s a path to where we want to go, either developing or not developing. If I can get to that point, then the rest of it, we’ve got good people that know what’s happened, and I’ll make sure the transition is smooth. I’ve promised George that.”
Still, Phillips stated he and McCaskey have touched on the concept of Phillips consulting with the Bears on the stadium venture past his retirement date.
“If it makes sense for the Bears and for me, I’d consider it,” Phillips stated. “It’s hard to say no when you’ve been somewhere for 40 years.”
Added McCaskey: “It makes sense for the Bears.”
So even after the work of discovering his alternative is completed, Phillips may be sticking round a bit longer.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com