Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus are working on revamping their coaching staff.

After firing five coaches earlier this month, including offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, the Bears are seeking at least new offensive and defensive coordinators and position coaches for the quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs.

The Tribune is tracking news of the hiring process, including which candidates have interviewed.

Jan. 18

The Bears are expected to interview former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, ESPN reported.

The rundown: Kingsbury, 44, spent this past season as a senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach at USC, where potential No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams played. The Bears are getting deeper into their evaluations of Williams as they determine whether to draft a quarterback with the No. 1 pick this spring. Williams threw for 3,633 yards with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions in 12 games in 2023.

In four seasons as the Cardinals coach, Kingsbury was 28-37-1. The Cardinals fired him last January following a 4-13 season after the team made the playoffs a year earlier behind quarterback Kyler Murray. Before that, Kingsbury was the head coach for six seasons at Texas Tech, where he coached quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

He also was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas A&M and Houston. Kingsbury played quarterback at Texas Tech and in the NFL, NFL Europe and CFL.

The Bears are interviewing Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported.

The rundown: Robinson, 37, has been part of Sean McVay’s coaching staff in Los Angeles for the last five seasons and in his current role the last two years. In 2021, Robinson also served as Matthew Stafford’s quarterbacks coach as Stafford matched a career high with 41 touchdown passes and led the Rams to a Super Bowl title.

This season Robinson contributed to a passing offense that ranked in the top 10 in yards and yards per play.

Robinson was a standout quarterback at Oklahoma State and a seventh-round selection by the New England Patriots in 2010. He spent four seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bears have requested an interview with Philadelphia Eagles senior offensive assistant Marcus Brady, ESPN reported.

The rundown: Brady, 44, spent the 2023 season on Nick Sirianni’s Eagles staff after five seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.

He worked on the same Colts coaching staff as Bears coach Matt Eberflus for four years under Frank Reich, though on the opposite side of the ball from Eberflus. With the Colts, Brady rose from assistant quarterbacks coach (2018) to quarterbacks coach (2019-20) and then to offensive coordinator (2021-22) after Sirianni left for the Eagles. The Colts offense was one of the best in the league at running the ball in 2021, but it ranked 27th in total yards per game with 311.6 in 2022.

Brady also spent nine seasons coaching in the Canadian Football League.

Jan. 17

The Bears are interviewing Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, The Athletic reported.

The rundown: Brown, 37, completed his first year as the Panthers coordinator after three seasons with the Rams, with whom he won a Super Bowl under McVay.

The Panthers struggled behind rookie quarterback Bryce Young in 2023, averaging a league-worst 265.3 yards per game. With the Rams, Brown coached running backs and then tight ends and had the title of assistant head coach in his last two seasons.

The former Georgia running back was a running backs coach in college for eight seasons, including with Wisconsin, Georgia, South Carolina and Miami, where he also was the offensive coordinator. Brown also is scheduled to interview with the Tennessee Titans for their head coaching position.

Jan. 15

The Bears interviewed former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager reported.

The rundown: Roman, 51, is a longtime NFL coach who served as offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Ravens. Among his accomplishments is crafting the Ravens offense around dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson and helping Jackson to an MVP season in his second year in 2019. The Ravens had the best rushing offense in the league that year.

However, Roman and the Ravens parted after the 2022 season after the offense declined. The Ravens went from averaging 33.2 points in 2019 to 20.6 in 2022.

Jan. 12

The Bears interviewed Seahawks quarterbacks coach Greg Olson, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The rundown: Olson, 60, has been a college and NFL quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator since 1990. He has extensive experience as an NFL offensive coordinator, holding the position with the Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Oakland and Las Vegas Raiders in separate stints and Jacksonville Jaguars.

He most recently was the Seahawks quarterbacks coach in 2023 and a senior offensive assistant with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. Olson spent the 2003 season as the Bears quarterbacks coach.

The Bears planned to interview Kentucky offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Liam Coen, CBS Sports reported.

The rundown: Coen, 38, has one season of NFL offensive coordinator experience with the Rams in 2022, though McVay called the plays. He was an assistant wide receivers coach and assistant quarterbacks coach with the Rams from 2018-20.

Beyond that, Coen has been a college quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator since 2010 at Brown, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine and most recently Kentucky in 2021 and 2023.

Jan. 11

The Bears planned to interview 49ers passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak, ESPN reported.

The rundown: Kubiak, 36, is in his first season with the 49ers under Kyle Shanahan. Before that, he was the Denver Broncos passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022 for Russell Wilson and their QBs coach from 2016-18.

Kubiak, the son of longtime NFL coach Gary Kubiak, also worked for the Minnesota Vikings as offensive coordinator in 2021 and quarterbacks coach from 2019-20, working with Kirk Cousins.

Jan. 10

The Bears requested an interview with Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, NFL Network reported.

The rundown: Waldron, 44, was the Seahawks offensive coordinator the last three seasons, helping quarterback Geno Smith to a comeback season in 2022. Before that, he spent four seasons with the Rams as passing game coordinator, quarterbacks coach and tight ends coach under McVay.

He also served as an offensive assistant with the Patriots (2008-09) and Washington (2016) and worked in operations with the Patriots early in his career. He has coached in college, high school and the UFL.

More Bears news

Bears Q&A: Did GM Ryan Poles miss a chance at a big-name coach? How desirable are the coordinator openings?
Caleb Williams declares for the NFL draft — and the Bears, picking No. 1, ‘can’t be scared of the unknown,’ analyst says
Bears GM Ryan Poles staying ‘open-minded’ as he evaluates whether to keep Justin Fields or draft a QB at No. 1
Column: How can GM Ryan Poles fix the cycle that has plagued the Bears forever? Pick the right quarterback.
Why did Bears GM Ryan Poles decide to retain coach Matt Eberflus? ‘The stability was a big piece of it.’
5 player decisions besides QB facing the Bears, including Jaylon Johnson’s contract and Darnell Mooney’s future
Column: What the Bears can learn about turning a franchise’s fortunes from the Houston Texans
Inside the numbers: Quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love have dazzling NFL playoff debuts

()

BOGOTA, Colombia — Three people have been jailed in the kidnapping and killing of a Hmong American comedian and activist from St. Paul who was found dead near Medellín after going out to meet a woman he reportedly met on social media, Colombian officials announced Thursday.

Tou Ger Xiong (Courtesy of the Bush Foundation)

The Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that two men and a woman were charged with the crimes of aggravated kidnapping for extortion and aggravated homicide in the death last month of Tou Ger Xiong, 50. The suspects denied the charges at a hearing, the statement said.

A minor who presented himself to the Public Prosecutor’s Office admitting to having participated in the crime also was charged in the case and transferred to a special detention center for minors, it added.

The U.S. Embassy in Bogota warned a week ago about Colombian criminals who use dating apps to lure victims and then assault and rob them. The embassy said it was aware of eight suspicious deaths of U.S. citizens in Medellín in the final two months of 2023, several involving the use of online dating apps.

According to the Bush Foundation, Xiong was an Hmong American comedian who shared his personal story to confront racial discrimination.

Xiong arrived in Medellín on Nov. 29 as a tourist and 12 days later his body was found with signs of violence in the Robledo area, northwest of Medellín.

A report by the Colombian forensic science institute, cited by the Prosecutor’s Office, concluded he died from injuries inflicted by a blunt object.

In its reconstruction of events, the Prosecutor’s Office said Xiong was held against his will by several people on the night of Dec. 10 in an apartment in Robledo. During his captivity, he was tied up, tortured, beaten and stripped of his credit cards, a cellphone, cash and a watch, it said.

The sectional director of the prosecutor’s office in Medellín, Yiri Milena Amado Sánchez, said the captors demanded thousands of dollars from Xiong’s family and one of his friends in the United States, who transferred $3,140 to a woman’s account.

Despite the immediate payment, Xiong was taken to a wooded area, where he was beaten and then thrown off a cliff about 260 feet high, prosecutors said. His body was found Dec. 11.

The PayPal account belonged to Sharit Gisela Mejía Martínez, and she tried to flee out a window of her apartment when investigators arrived to question her, a prosecutor told the hearing.

Following the killing, the activist’s family said in a statement that “the pain of his loss is indescribable.”

Xiong was born in Laos in 1973. His family fled to Thailand after the communist takeover in 1975 because his father had served in a U.S-backed Hmong military force, according to a 2020 profile of him in the Pioneer Press. They spent four years in a refugee camp in Thailand before resettling in St. Paul, which is home to the largest Hmong community of any city in the U.S.

Related Articles

Western Minnesota man charged with threats against U’s Twin Cities campus

State says Blaine pet store illegally fired new employee after she disclosed pregnancy

Second young brother dies after UTV collided with pickup truck in western Minnesota

St. Paul mother pleads guilty in girl’s fentanyl overdose death

Charges: Downtown St. Paul shooting suspect was wanted for skipping two sentencings this month

Minnesota’s 2024 presidential primary is March 5, but starting Friday, voters can begin casting absentee ballots for candidates with one of the state’s three major parties.

State elections officials on Thursday said they’re already preparing for any challenges that may arise from disinformation, foreign hacking or harassment of poll workers. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, the state’s top elections administrator, said elections officials take many measures to ensure security, including public testing of ballot machines, and have multiple steps of review for absentee ballots.

“There’s no question that this election year will be among the most intense in history. The presidential candidates will likely inspire strong feelings,” he said. “I just want to make sure Minnesotans know that our office is working hard with partners all over the state on all these areas … physical security, cyber security, providing accurate information and voter outreach.”

Simon also noted the emerging issue of artificial intelligence-generated “deep fake” videos, images and audio being used to spread false information ahead of an election. However, he noted his office has not yet identified an instance of that happening in Minnesota.

Lawmakers last year made it a crime to spread misinformation about elections and passed a separate bill specifically addressing the phenomenon of “deep fakes.”

Who’s on the ballot?

Minnesota’s three major parties are participating — Democrats, Republicans and Legal Marijuana Now. Each party has a separate ballot.

Candidates on the Democrats’ ballot include President Joe Biden, Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips, Jason Palmer, Eban Cambridge, Marianne Williamson, Frankie Lozada, Gabriel Cornejo, Cenk Uygur and Armando “Mando” Perez-Serrato. All three parties have a write-in spot, and Democrats also have an “uncommitted” option.

Republican primary candidates listed on the ballot include Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, as well as candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who have dropped out of the race.

Legal Marijuana Now candidates include Vermin Supreme, Krystal Gabel, Dennis Schuller, Edward Forchion and Rudy Reyes.

Parties had to submit their list of candidates by Jan. 2, before some of the candidates listed had dropped out.

A slate of presidential primaries and caucuses are scheduled between now and March 5, and there’s a chance candidates may drop out in the weeks leading up to Minnesota’s primary.

That means those who vote early may risk backing a candidate who is no longer in the race by the time their ballot is counted.

Simon said absentee voters can “claw back” their ballot until Feb. 15 if they change their mind for any reason, but after that, there are no more opportunities for redos.

“It might be a signal that people might want to wait to cast an absentee ballot in a presidential nominating primary contest, depending on your party or your preferences because there’s no guarantee that that candidate will still be in the race by March 5,” Simon said.

Who can vote?

Minnesota has an open primary, meaning anyone 18 or older who is a citizen of the U.S. and not currently incarcerated can participate.

Felons on probation had their voting rights restored last year, and the new state law remains in effect despite an ongoing legal challenge from a conservative group.

Another change that went into effect last year allows people who are 16 and 17 years old to pre-register to vote.

Unlike many other states, Minnesota does not require party registration to participate in a primary. But voters have to choose one party’s ballot.

Voters must request the ballot of their party of choice, which is recorded as private data by the state and is shared with the party the voter chooses. Before this year, the party a voter chose got shared with all the parties, Simon said.

Party choice is shared, but which candidate the voter chooses on a ballot is not shared with anyone.

Voting dates

Voters have until Feb. 13 to register early or can register to vote at the polls on the day of the election.

Minnesota is one of 16 states that hold a presidential primary on March 5, known as Super Tuesday.

The presidential primary is the first statewide election of 2024. In August, Minnesota has a primary for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Amy Klobuchar, as well for as many state House races in districts across Minnesota.

The general election is Nov. 5.

Related Articles

After 20 years in office, state Rep. Pat Garofalo will not seek reelection

Republican caucuses live updates: Trump wins Iowa’s leadoff caucuses, while DeSantis takes second ahead of Haley

Iowa caucuses: What to watch as voters weigh in on the Republican campaign’s first contest of 2024

Iowa campaign events are falling as fast as the snow as the state readies for record-cold caucuses

All 4 Republicans in Minnesota’s congressional delegation back Trump’s latest White House bid

Will the South Siders be playing baseball in the South Loop?

If the Chicago White Sox and developer Related Midwest built a baseball-only stadium at Roosevelt Road and Clark Street — an area known as “the 78″ — it could improve the experience for fans while boosting development in the area.

“The ballpark is right now not really in a neighborhood, it’s in the middle of nowhere, and a not very attractive nowhere,” said Allen Sanders, a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago who studies the economics of sports. “And getting to the ballpark, there is nothing wonderful about that experience.”

“Serious” negotiations have taken place between the Chicago White Sox and developer Related Midwest about the project, the Chicago Sun Times reported.

Related Midwest owns the site but declined to comment through Tricia Van Horn, vice president of marketing and communications. The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority — which owns Guaranteed Rate Field — has not been involved in the talks, the organization’s CEO, Frank Bilecki, told the Tribune.

“I’m not part of the discussion, at least as of yet,” Bilecki said. “I truly know nothing. I’m a landlord and they’re a tenant, and they’re looking at options as tenants do everywhere.”

The Sox and Mayor Brandon Johnson released a joint statement Thursday that did not address the possibility of a new stadium being built on the 78 site.

“Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf met to discuss the historic partnership between the team and Chicago and the team’s ideas for remaining competitive in Chicago in perpetuity,” the statement reads. “The partnership between the City and the team goes back more than a century and the Johnson administration is committed to continuing this dialogue moving forward.”

Sanders, a White Sox fan who often attends games, and who is also a longtime critic of using public funds to finance new stadiums, said a new ballpark may not do much to boost attendance.

“The bigger problem might be it’s a really bad baseball team, coupled with the fact that senior ownership hasn’t exactly endeared itself to the public,” he said.

The question about how any new ballpark would be funded is significant. Guaranteed Rate Field — where the Sox lease runs through 2029 — was paid for using money raised through an increase in Chicago hotel room taxes in a last-minute deal in Springfield in 1988. The city and state also each kick in $5 million per year.

The ISFA still owes about $50 million toward the construction of the stadium, which opened near 35th Street and Shields Avenue in 1991.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has indicated he’s generally not supportive of state money going toward private, professional sports teams. He expressed this sentiment in the last year over rumblings about whether the Sox would move and in the Chicago Bears’ quest to find a new stadium in the city or suburbs.

As for the reports of the latest talks involving a possible new stadium for the Sox, Pritzker suggested he’d be open to listening to any proposals.

“Nobody’s made an ask yet, so having said that, I think you know my views about privately owned teams and whether the public should be paying for private facilities that will be used by private businesses,” the governor said during an unrelated event at an elementary school outside of Springfield. “Having said that, I mean, there are things that government does to support business all across the state, investing in infrastructure, making sure that we’re supporting the success of business in Illinois.

“So, as with all of the other (things), whether it’s sports teams or other private businesses, we’ll be looking at whatever they may be suggesting for asking.”

Where the Sox will be playing in the future has been a topic of conversation for several months.

In August, Crain’s Chicago Business reported the team was considering a move when its lease at Guaranteed Rate Field expires.

At that time, the Sox said in a statement: “We have not had any conversations about our lease situation, but with six years remaining, it is naturally nearing a time where discussions should begin to take place. The conversations would be with the city, ISFA and the state and most likely would be about vision, opportunities and the future.”

The Sox confirmed a meeting between Reinsdorf and Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell took place during the MLB winter meetings in December. But they did not disclose the topics discussed.

Nashville has long been mentioned in speculation as a city to consider if MLB decides to expand.

A Sox move could add a wrinkle to the Bears’ efforts to build a new enclosed stadium. The Bears spent $197 million to buy the former Arlington Park racetrack almost a year ago but have made little progress since then to get tax subsidies or resolve a dispute over property taxes with local school districts.

The Bears have also had discussions with Johnson about staying in the city and with officials about potential sites in Naperville, Waukegan and elsewhere.

Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said he couldn’t speculate about how the Sox talks might affect the Bears’ options, saying he was still trying to arrange face-to-face meetings between the team and the schools.

“I don’t anticipate that this would negatively impact the momentum we’ve been trying to gain,” he said. “We’re very hopeful things are moving in the right direction, and we’re continuing to work on it.”

A Sox relocation to the 78 might be modeled on the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park, which opened in 2017 as an anchor to The Battery, a surrounding area of restaurants, housing and entertainment.

Such a mixed-use development is what the Bears have proposed for Arlington Heights. But at 62 acres, the Chicago site is much smaller than the 326 acres at the former Arlington horse track.

The Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner reported from Rochester, Ill.

()