Curtis Johnson left the Bears to return for a second stint on Sean Payton’s coaching staff in New Orleans, which means that the Bears were in the market for their third wide receivers coach in the last three seasons.
They found one in the college ranks. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that the team hired Zach Azzanni to fill the opening on John Fox’s staff. Azzanni is the third new offensive position coach in Chicago this year.
Azzanni spent the last four seasons at the University of Tennessee and coached the wideouts at Wisconsin in 2012 before moving to the Volunteers. He also worked at Central Michigan from 2007-09 and helped Steelers star Antonio Brown develop into a player who would be selected in the sixth round of the draft before rising to the top of the position.
The Bears would love to see Azzanni have the same kind of impact on their receiving corps, which could move on without Alshon Jeffery as he’s set for free agency next month.