Shane Waldron is appointed offensive coordinator by the Bears………
Shane Waldron was hired by the Bears on Tuesday to serve as their new offensive coordinator.
“Coach Matt Eberflus expressed his excitement about having Shane join his coaching staff.” “I also want to express my gratitude to every applicant we spoke with during the interview process. Even though we conducted a very thorough search, I’m happy that it ultimately brought us to Shane. With a broad coaching history that includes some of the best head coaches in the league, he is an excellent teacher and communicator. As we start him here and fill out the rest of the staff, I’m excited to work with him as a partner.”
Waldron, 44, has been an NFL coach for ten seasons, the last three of which he served as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. In addition, he has one season in the United Football League and seven collegiate seasons of expertise.
Waldron, 44, has spent 10 seasons coaching in the NFL, including the last three as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator. He also has seven seasons of experience at the collegiate level and one in the United Football League.
“I appreciate this opportunity given to me by Coach Eberflus and Ryan Poles,” Waldron said. “We can’t wait to get to work at a franchise with such a storied history and passionate fan base.”
In three seasons in Seattle, Waldron’s offense ranked third in yards per touch (7.8), third in big plays passing* (110), fourth in big plays rushing* percentage (13.0%), fifth in completion percentage (66.6%), eighth in yards per reception (11.2) and tied for tenth in passing touchdowns (83). The Seahawks’ offense also ranked tied for first in turnovers (53), second in interceptions (31) and fifth in interception percentage (1.9%).
*Running 10 yards or more and passing 25 yards or more are considered big plays.
Seattle’s offense put up 21.4 points and 322.9 yards per game on average last season. Seattle quarterback Geno Smith revived his NFL career under Waldron’s tutelage. Along the way to earning his first Pro Bowl selection and AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2022, Smith concluded the season as the league leader in completion % (69.8), fourth in touchdown passes (30), seventh in passer rating (100.9), and eighth in passing yards (4,282). Seahawks receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf both finished with 1,000 yards in the same year.
Running back Rashaad Penny rose to prominence under offensive coordinator Waldron’s tutelage in 2021, when the Seahawks’ rushing assault finished third in the NFL with 5.02 rushing yards per attempt. Russell Wilson became just the second quarterback in NFL history to record at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in each of his first 10 seasons, while both Lockett and Metcalf achieved career highs in various receiving categories.
In 2005–07, Waldron began his coaching career at Notre Dame as a graduate assistant. After that, he moved to New England to start his NFL career in 2008 as a quality control coach for the Patriots. The next year, he was promoted to tight ends coach.
Before returning to the NFL in 2016 to work as the Commanders’ offensive quality control coach under then-offensive coordinator Sean McVay, Waldron coached with the UFL’s Hartford Colonials, Buckingham Browne & Nichols High School, and the University of Massachusetts from 2010 to 2015. During that season, the team broke the franchise record for total net yards in a season (6,454) and finished third in the league in total offense.
Under McVay, Waldron played for the Rams for the following four seasons, beginning as tight ends coach in 2017. He also functioned as the passing game coordinator in 2018 before going full-time in that capacity for the 2019 and 2020 campaigns.
With quarterback Jared Goff having a career-best season in 2018, Waldron led a passing attack that tied for sixth in touchdowns, fifth in passing yards per game, and fourth in pass yards per attempt.
2019 saw Goff become the first quarterback in franchise history to record consecutive seasons with more than 4,000 passing yards, a testament to Waldron’s continuous ability to support his development. With 4,638 yards, Goff came in third place in the league, while receivers Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp each had over 1,100 yards.
The Rams finished in the top 10 in passing yards and rushing yards three times during his career with the team.
Waldron played tight end and long snapper for three years as a letterman at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, before graduating in 2002.