Bears name Dave Ragone quarterbacks coach

The Bears’ new offensive coordinator turned to an old friend to fill his former position.

Dave Ragone was named the Bears’ quarterbacks coach late Friday afternoon, reuniting with Dowell Loggains, who was elevated to the Bears’ offensive coordinator earlier this month.

It marks the second time Ragone has replaced a promoted Loggains as quarterbacks coach.

In 2013, Ragone moved from the Titans’ wide receivers coach — where he’d spent the previous two seasons — to coach quarterbacks when the team decided to keep Loggains at offensive coordinator. Loggains served as coordinator for the last five games of 2012 and all of 2013 after being promoted from quarterbacks coach.

Ragone spent last season as the Redskins’ offensive quality control coach, where the helped turn quarterback Kirk Cousins into one of the league’s most pleasant surprises.

Cousins set the franchise passing yards record, led the NFL with a 69.8 completion percentage and finished with a 101.6 passer rating that ranked fifth in the league. The Redskins won the NFC East but lost to the Packers in the first round of the playoffs.

After trying his hand as a Louisville sports talk radio host, Ragone coached quarterbacks for the UFL’s Hartford Colonials in 2010 and mentored Josh McCown to the league’s best passer rating.

Ragone spent three seasons as a quarterback for the Texans after they selected him in the third round of the 2003 draft out of Louisville, where he was a three-time Conference USA Offensive Player of the year. The left-hander started two games as a rookie, completing half his 40 attempts. In 2005, he was named the NFL Europe Offensive MVP as a member of the Berlin Thunder.

Next week, the Bears will head to the Senior Bowl — a de facto job fair — with all their major assistant coach positions filled.

The team has openings for two smaller jobs. Offensive assistant Bo Hardegree left this week to join former offensive coordinator Adam Gase as the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach.

The Bears will likely need an assistant special teams coach; the Sacramento Bee reported Friday that the 49ers are expected to hire the Bears’ Derius Swinton to be their special teams coordinator. He worked under special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers last season after moving with him from the Broncos.

Also Friday, the Chargers named former Bears player and assistant Chris Harris their assistant defensive backs coach. Harris spent 2013-14 as the Bears’ defensive quality control coach.

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Email: pfinley@suntimes.com