Chicago Bears complete head coach interview with former Wisconsin football assistant..

Former Wisconsin running back coach Thomas Brown completed an interview with the Chicago Bears for their head coaching vacancy on Monday.

Brown, who served as the Bears’ interim head coach after the firing of Matt Eberflus, joins a long list of candidates to interview for the opening over the last week.

Notable names to interview include former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera and freshly-minted New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Including Brown, the Bears have interviewed nine candidates since Jan. 8.

Brown began the 2024 season as the Bears passing game coordinator. He was promoted to offensive coordinator after the firing of Shane Waldron on Nov. 12. He was then promoted further when Eberflus was fired near the end of November. The former Wisconsin assistant went 1-4 in his five games at the helm. He earned his first win in the Bears’ season finale against the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 5.

The Bears struggled down the stretch with Brown at the helm, finishing the season with a 5-12 record. They averaged fewer than 14 points in those closing games, as rookie quarterback Caleb Williams threw for less than 150 passing yards in three of them.

The team’s season-long downward trend made it challenging for Brown to execute much of a turnaround. Those struggles especially took place on offense as Williams experienced an up-and-down rookie season.

Brown’s connection to Wisconsin goes back to 2014. Under former Badgers coach Gary Anderson, Brown captained a running back room that featured 2014 Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon and future NFL running backs Corey Clement and Dare Ogunbowale.

Given Brown’s lack of head coaching experience, the team’s continued struggles to close 2024 and the presence of other top candidates, the odds of him landing the job are extremely low.