From University of Chicago Athletics
University of Chicago Head Football Coach Chris Wilkerson announced that John Bear has been hired to serve as Offensive Coordinator on the Maroon football coaching staff.
In addition to his Offensive Coordinator duties, Bear will primarily coach the quarterback, wide receiver and tight end position groups.
"We are thrilled to be adding John Bear as our new Offensive Coordinator," Wilkerson said. "His offenses have always played with great energy, imagination and tempo. John brings a wealth of experience to the table, but most importantly, he is an outstanding teacher and competitor. We look forward to having John and his wife Emily as part of the UChicago family."
Bear brings 10 seasons of coaching experience to Hyde Park, including five at the NCAA Division I and FCS levels. In that time, he has coached three different position groups, six All-Americans and four current NFL players.
Most recently, Bear was the Offensive Coordinator at nearby North Park University for three seasons (2013-15). His additional duties included Quarterbacks Coach and Strength & Conditioning Coordinator. During his time on the north side, the Vikings experienced unprecedented success on the field. NPU led the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) in passing offense all three years in conference contests, which included 272.3 yards per game in 2014. The Vikings won their first conference game in 13 seasons, and accumulated seven CCIW victories in the past three years. The program's prolific passing attack set nine single-season records, five career records and numerous single-game records during Bear's tenure.
Bear's previous coaching stints included University of Akron (2011-12), Emory & Henry College (2009-10), Liberty University (2006, 2008) and Wheaton College (2007). As the Offensive Graduate Assistant Coach and Tackles & Tight Ends Coach at Akron, Bear was part of an offensive turnaround at the NCAA Division I school. The offense increased its total yardage from 277 YPG to 427 YPG while allowing 14 fewer quarterback sacks and improving the scoring output by 14 points per game.
His roles at Emory & Henry included Run Game Coordinator, Offensive Line Coach and Strength Coach. He coached five All-Conference linemen, the Conference Player of the Year and All-American running back Caleb Jennings. In two stints at Liberty, Bear was the Offensive Assistant, Assistant Offensive Line Coach, Quality Control Coach and Assistant Strength Coach. Liberty's offense was ranked No. 10 in total offense in the FCS with a top 20 scoring offense as well – the 2008 team finished with a 10-2 record with a No. 12 national ranking in the FCS. At Wheaton College, Bear was Offensive Line Coach and Video Coordinator. The powerhouse Thunder ranked No. 3 in the NCAA Division III AFCA coaches poll during the season.
Bear graduated from Trinity International University in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in sports management. He was a three-year starter on the offensive line and team captain as a senior.