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Chicago Bears’ head coach Matt Nagy came out swinging today in filling out his coaching staff by nabbing the well respected Harry Hiestand to coach his offensive line. Bears fans should be familiar with Hiestand from his previous stint in Chicago under former head coach Lovie Smith from 2005 to 2009.
Chicago received some excellent play from their offensive line during his previous time here, including allowing only 25 sacks in their NFC Championship season of 2006.
Hiestand has been the offensive coach at Notre Dame since 2012, and has assisted in developing a number of prospects that are currently playing in the NFL: including Zack Martin, a Pro Bowl guard for the Dallas Cowboys, and his brother Nick Martin who plays center for the Houston Texans. He has also coached left tackle Ronnie Stanley of the Baltimore Ravens.
Hiestand also helped mold this year’s consensus top offensive guard in college football in Notre Dame’s Quenton Nelson, who will be a likely top-10 pick in April's draft.
Overall, Hiestand's addition fits perfectly in line with zone blocking schemes and run-pass options that most safely assume Nagy is looking to implement with the Bears' offense. His experience and natural tutelage should serve Chicago well.
As Chicago and Nagy look to fill out the rest of his coaching staff in a timely fashion, they've gotten themselves off to a fantastic start in the foundational hire of Hiestand.