Bears head coach Ben Johnson is moving quickly to form his coaching staff, and he’s predictably aiming for people that he has a history with.

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That’s the case at offensive coordinator, where Johnson interviewed someone he worked with in Miami. Titans quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree has spoken with Johnson about an important role on the staff, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday morning.

Hardegree isn’t the only one on Johnson’s schedule. Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle, per NFLN’s Tom Peliserro, a bright young mind who has learned under Sean Payton in New Orleans and Denver. The Bears are also scheduled to interview David Shaw for the offensive coordinator spot, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. The team interviewed former Stanford head coach and current Broncos personnel executive to be the head coach as part of their initial interviews.

Johnson said earlier this week that he’ll call plays, as he did in Detroit as the Lions offensive coordinator. That coordinator role will, as Johnson puts it, help set the table well for the head coach while he’s handling his role as team CEO and game manager.

Trust will be important for Johnson and his offensive coordinator, and that has been established during their time working together in Miami. He was quarterbacks coach there from 2016-18, and was an offensive assistant in Chicago during the 2015 season. He has routinely been a quarterbacks coach, though he has experience as an interim OC and play caller in Las Vegas during the 2023 season.

As a note, the offensive coordinator role is subject to the Rooney Rule, meaning the Bears must interview at least two minority candidates before being eligible to make a hire.

The Bears have worked to finalize a deal for assistant head coach Antwaan Randle-El. They have cornerbacks coach Al Harris and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett. The competition for top assistants is fierce, especially for teams with a hew head coach, who are essentially starting from scratch.

Getting coaches at the coordinator level is key, so Johnson can start building schemes designed for the Bears talent base. It’s fair to expect him to get moving on some of these hires within the week, and while the Bears are down at the Senior Bowl in the earlier portions of next week.