Chicago Bears: Matt Nagy just did a tremendous Pay It Forward

Matt Nagy came so close to never being in the NFL period. Back in 2008, being the head coach of the Chicago Bears was a far-flung fantasy.

Just days from becoming a salesman, he caught a break. A friend and current GM of the Chiefs Brett Veach contacted him about an intern program with the Philadelphia Eagles. The team, knowing he was done playing, was interested in bringing him in as a temporary coach to see how he could handle the transition. Nagy, wanting to stay in football, accepted the offer.

After two years, the Eagles hired him as a full-time quality control coach. From there he rapidly rose up the ranks from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, and now head coach of the Bears. Barring anything unexpected he will be the NFL Coach of the Year. It’s an amazing story, and it seems Nagy hasn’t forgotten his roots.

He knows full well he wouldn’t be where he is without that intern program his mentor Andy Reid installed during his days in Philadelphia. The moment he arrived this past season, he did the same thing, bringing in a bunch of young coaches as interns for training camp and preseason. It seems one of them made quite an impression as the Bears have since hired him full-time.

With Ronell Williams being hired as defensive quality control assistant for #Bears, worth wondering if Sean Desai will be promoted from that title to become a position coach on Matt Nagy's staff.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) January 18, 2019

Ronnell Williams earns defensive quality control job with the Bears

More from NFL Mocks

There is no question that Nagy saw a little of himself in Ronnell Williams. The former linebacker reached his peak playing days in Division II with West Chester. He never made it to the NFL. Still, he didn’t want to give up his passion so he switched to coaching. After a stint at Division III Widener, Williams caught the eye of Temple University.

They brought him on as a graduate assistant and from there he was promoted to be their defensive analyst. With his help, the defense finished 7th in all of college football in pass defense, allowing 166.3 yards per game. During that same span, he took time to attend Nagy’s internship. It’s clear he made a strong impression because the Bears hired him not long after the 2018 season ended.

It remains to be seen how far Williams will go in the NFL. Yet the fact that Nagy paid it forward to another young coach who had the same dreams he did 10 years ago is a pretty cool story. If nothing else, the Bears are getting a motivated young man thirsty for an opportunity and eager to learn. Sometimes that’s all it takes to get off and running.

Home/NFL Hot Takes