Staff moves weren’t easy for John Fox but change can be good

MOBILE, Ala. — Saying goodbye to offensive line coach Dave Magazu and assistant secondary/safeties coach Sam Garnes wasn’t easy for Bears coach John Fox.

They had spent years together at various stops in their careers.

“It’s always hard,” Fox said Tuesday after the Bears-coached North team finished its first practice for the Senior Bowl.

“Whether it’s players or coaches, you spend a lot of time with people. It’s a relationship business. Those things are never easy.”

With that said, here’s a look at the Bears’ coaching staff changes with comments from Fox for the first time:

Offensive line

The Bears replaced Magazu with Jeremiah Washburn, who has 15 years of coaching and scouting experience in the NFL.

Washburn was a former intern for Fox with the Panthers.

“Coach Fox left a huge impression on me at an early age,” Washburn said.

Fox also said he has known Washburn’s father, Jim, a long-time NFL assistant, for “a hundred years.”

“[Washburn] brings a good energy and a really good knowledge of the game,” Fox said. “He’s [done] the personnel side, so he’s an excellent evaluator — that’s part of being a good coach, too. You’ve got to pick your starting lineup. You’ve got to be able to pick the football team or be part of the process of picking the football team. He brings a really good blend.”

Secondary

Roy Anderson takes over as the assistant secondary coach, and his arrival can be traced back to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The two overlapped with the Ravens in 2009.

“[Fangio is] a really good teacher,” said Anderson, who has eight years of coaching experience.

“He does a good job of teaching them not only defenses but how to attack an offense and how offenses want to attack you.”

Anderson also said that he formed a relationship with head secondary coach Ed Donatell years ago, too.

Running backs

Curtis Modkins takes over at running backs coach for Stan Drayton, who left to be an associate head coach at Texas.

Unlike Washburn, Modkins doesn’t have a previous connection with Fox.

Fox said that Modkins, the 49ers’ offensive coordinator last year and the Lions’ run game coordinator for three seasons before that, enhances the “functional part of the game” for the offense.

Fox specifically mentioned Modkins’ expertise with nickel protections.

“He’s an excellent grass coach,” Fox said. “Curtis has proven that. He’s an outstanding coach, good addition to our staff.”

Outside linebackers

Fox said that the Bears aren’t in a hurry to fill the void left by Clint Hurtt’s departure because Fangio wants to handle outside linebackers.

“[Fangio] had the responsibility over that position even the last two years,” Fox said. “There’s not going to be a real deviation from what we’ve done.”