Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano filling staff with ‘selfless people’

Chuck Pagano knew Deshea Townsend by reputation but never had worked with him.

But in the span of 3½ hours last week, the Bears’ new defensive coordinator had already found his defensive backs coach.

“You can tell the way he’s wired, what’s in his DNA, his philosophy on life, his philosophy on coaching,” Pagano said Thursday. “We’re aligned perfectly, and he’s aligned just like coach [Matt] Nagy is.”

Ted Monachino fits that description, too, but Pagano knew that already. Monachino spent 2016-17 as the Colts’ defensive coordinator under Pagano, and worked with him earlier in their careers on the Ravens’ staff. He spent three weeks as the Kansas State defensive coordinator before joining Pagano on Monday as the new outside linebackers coach.

Townsend coached the Titans’ secondary from 2016-17 and spent last season as the Giants’ assistant defensive backs coach.

If the two are any indication, the Bears’ defensive coordinator values the right personality fit in his staff members.

“Humble,” he said. “They’re selfless, selfless people. I think [Nagy] has tried to surround himself with a bunch of all those things we just talked about — guys who are interested in not being the reason we’re successful, but being a reason. Understand their role. Do their job. Stay in their lane. Work hard. And I’m no different.”

In his first two weeks on the job, Pagano is overseeing a staff makeover that belies his new unit’s ranking as the best in the league.

RELATED

• Bears’ Pro Bowl defenders excited to play for new coordinator Chuck Pagano

• Chuck Pagano sets bar high for Bears’ defense — chance to be the best ever

The Bears are keeping defensive line coach Jay Rodgers, who was spotted Thursday inside Halas Hall. Defensive backs coach Ed Donatell and outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley followed former coordinator Vic Fangio to the Broncos last week, while the Bears didn’t retain inside linebackers coach Glenn Pires or assistant defensive backs coach Roy Anderson.

Pagano still has two openings left to fill his staff — an inside linebackers coach and an assistant defensive backs coach — and said that should be completed in the next three or four days.

“We’re going to continue vetting a few guys,” he said.

The process was complicated by Nagy attending the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

“It goes back to people,” Pagano said. “That starts, again, with Coach Nagy and what he’s looking for — great character, great integrity. And they’re great teachers, communicators. Relatability. They can command a room.

“I’ve got familiarity, obviously, with Ted. We’ve been together in two spots, Baltimore and Indy, so that was good. Deshea has instant credibility because he played, and played at a high level. He’s a guy that had to earn everything that he got.”