How small beginnings shaped Shane Waldron into the Chicago Bears’ OC, and Caleb Williams’ NFL tutor
Bold Bears predictions from FOX 32’s sports desk
It’s never too early for a bold prediction or two. FOX 32’s sports desk has three. Check out Cassie Carlson, Anthony Herron and Lou Canellis’ bold predictions for the 2024 Bears season.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – When the Cincinnati Bengals visited Halas Hall for a joint practice on August 19, Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron reminisced with Bengals’ head coach Zac Taylor.
The two worked for Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, and became coveted names on the coaching circuit because of it.
When they weren’t calling offenses, they were drawing it all out. Literally.
“Zac Taylor and I were talking about drawing pictures for Sean McVay,” Waldron said. “Maybe that’s not your be all end all goal, you do the best job in that job that you have knowing what you want to do as a future as a coach.”
The McVay pipeline, often known for its offensive system that revolutionized the NFL in 2018 and began an infusion of young offensive-minded coaches, elevating Taylor to head coach in 2019 and Waldron to an offensive coordinator position in 2021.
A stop in Los Angeles under McVay did indeed help launch Waldron’s career. It’s partially why Russell Wilson advocated for Waldron to be his offensive coordinator in Seattle.
Before Waldon got the McVay lift, however, he created his career in plenty of other stops at the collegiate, high school and United Football League levels. Those smaller levels were the foundation for what Waldron turned into an opportunity to be the main offensive mind leading Caleb Williams’ development in perhaps the most crucial season for the Chicago Bears’ offense in franchise history.
“Had a lot of different stops along the way,” Waldron said. “I think each one of them just tried to learn and be a little bit better on the next stop.”
Two of Waldron’s former bosses explain how the former college tight end and long snapper earned the opportunity to tutor Williams and lead the Chicago Bears’ offense.
It wasn’t because Waldron was a gifted prodigy or an offensive savant ahead of his time.
Those who oversaw Waldron then now regard him as someone who made a difference by the way he worked, assisting behind the scenes in supportive ways that left an indelible and unforgettable mark even in the decade past.
“Shane was one of those guys that could literally go from the highest level to the lowest level, and the transition was incredibly easy because the bottom line is he’s literally the nicest guy you ever wanted to meet, number one,” New England Elite Football Clinic founder John Papas said. “Number two, he cares about people, he cares about players, he cares about other coaches.”
The ‘right-hand man’ at Notre Dame
Charlie Weis was in a bit of a bind.
In December 2004, he just accepted the head coaching position at Notre Dame. The only problem was he was also the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, and needed to be in two places at once.
To make matters even trickier, Weis wanted to do all of this while doing right by his old boss: Bill Belichick.
- “One of the things I didn’t want to do was take any of the regular position coaches with me because I had such a good relationship with Belichick,” Weis said. “But I needed somebody to help me through.”
Leave a Reply