Chicago Bears hire ex-Broncos’ Fox as new head coach

The Chicago Bears named John Fox as their head coach, the National Football League team said on Friday, just days after the turnaround specialist stepped down from the same role with the Denver Broncos.

Fox, who mutually parted ways with Denver following Sunday’s surprise playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts, replaces Marc Trestman, who was fired after two seasons with the Bears.

The Bears are hoping Fox, who led Denver to the playoffs in each of his four seasons, can revitalize a Chicago team that have not made the NFL playoffs since the 2010 season.

Fox, who has 13 years of NFL head-coaching experience from stints with the Broncos and Carolina Panthers, has earned a reputation for turning struggling teams into contenders.

The Carolina Panthers went a dismal 1-15 during the NFL’s 2001 season before bringing in Fox, who led the team to a 7-9 record in his first year in charge and then to a Super Bowl berth the season after that.

He took over a Broncos team that had missed the playoffs in five consecutive years and went 4-12 in the season before his arrival. Fox led the Broncos to four AFC West division titles and to their first Super Bowl game last year since the 1998 season.