There will be a new head coach patrolling the sidelines next season, as the Chicago Bears have fired John Fox, the team announced Monday.
"Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace has informed John Fox he will not return as head coach in 2018," the team said in a statement.
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Fox finished his Bears tenure with a 23-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. He had a 14-34 record in three seasons with the Bears after taking over following the 2014 season.
“Thank you to all the players, coaches, the city of Chicago and Bears fans everywhere, your passion for the game and this team is unmatched in the NFL," Fox said in a statement following the news. "Today is the tough part of our results-oriented business but I wish the Bears organization the best for years to come.”
Bears players had plenty of positive things to say about Fox and his time as a Chicago coach following Sunday's loss to the Vikings.
"He’s one of my favorite coaches that I’ve ever had, and he helps you grow as a person as well as a player," said Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks.
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That sentiment was echoed by wide receiver Josh Bellamy, who called Fox "one of the best coaches I've ever been around."
"He’s a fighter. He never lies down," Bellamy said. "That’s what you want in a coach. It’s not the coach, it’s the players that change the culture. We might get another coach and go 0-17. It’s not the coach, it’s the players that have to change the culture."
G.M. Ryan Pace will reportedly handle the new search for a head coach as the Bears try to get back to the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.
