LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have hired Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator and Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator under new coach Ben Johnson.
Chicago also is keeping Richard Hightower as special teams coordinator as it looks to rebound after going 5-12 this season. The team announced the moves on Tuesday.
The addition of Allen, 52, puts a former head coach on Johnson's first staff in his new position. Allen went 18-25 with New Orleans before he was fired on Nov. 4 after the Saints lost seven consecutive games. He also coached the Raiders for two-plus seasons, going 8-28.
While his two stints as a head coach in the NFL were unsuccessful, Allen is an experienced defensive coordinator. He had that role in New Orleans for six seasons, and his unit was ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in 2020 and 2021.
"A great defensive mind with NFL head coach acumen, I look forward to Dennis coordinating our defense and helping lead our team,” Johnson said in a release.
The 38-year-old Johnson is filling out his staff after he was hired last week. He will call the offensive plays for Caleb Williams and the Bears after spending the past three seasons as Detroit’s offensive coordinator.
Johnson is taking over a team that came into the season with visions of making the playoffs, only to finish last in the NFC North. Chicago fired former coach Matt Eberflus in the middle of a 10-game losing streak that ended with a win at Green Bay in the finale.
Doyle just finished his second season as the tight ends coach for the Denver Broncos. He was an offensive assistant for New Orleans from 2019-22.
Before moving to the NFL, Doyle was an offensive student assistant for the University of Iowa from 2016-18. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Iowa in 2018.
“A sharp, innovative offensive mind, Declan’s work ethic and attitude will be a tremendous asset as we work to build our offensive unit," Johnson said. “Declan brings a unique skillset rooted in attention to detail, as well as individual development and collective growth.”
Hightower is a longtime NFL assistant, also working for Houston, Washington, Cleveland and San Francisco in a variety of roles — mostly on special teams. He is going into his fourth season as the special teams coordinator for Chicago.
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The Associated Press
