Bears tab Donatell as DB coach

It was reported on the Twitterverse that when the Bears landed Vic Fangio to be their defensive coordinator he might bring along Ed Donatell, with whom he's worked the past four years with Fangio.

Donatell has 36 years of coaching experience including stints as defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers (2000-03) and the Atlanta Falcons (2004-06)

Bears fans will be most interested in his recent history though, straight from the Bears' press release:

Over the past four seasons, Donatell's secondary has been a part of a 49ers defense that ranked second in the NFL in scoring defense (17.4 points per game) and opponent passer rating (76.8), tied for second in interceptions (78), third in total defense (310.2 yards per game) and sixth in pass defense (218.2 ypg).

Four players from San Francisco's secondary were named to a total of six Pro Bowls under Donatell's guidance: S Dashon Goldson (2011-12), CB Carlos Rogers (2011), S Eric Reid (2013) and S Donte Whitner (2011-12). In addition, Goldson, earned first-team All-Pro honors by the Associated Press in 2012 and Rogers was named a second-team All-Pro by the AP in 2011.

Donatell also had stops with the New York Jets and the Denver Broncos in the 1990s. Before that was the usual working his way through the college ranks.

The Bears also announced that Jon Hoke would not be returning as DB coach. Hoke has been with the Bears since 2009 and managed to hold on through the change from Lovie Smith to Marc Trestman.

What do you think of this hire?