At the start of the 2022 regular season, it was announced that Ted Phillips would be stepping aside from his position as president and CEO of the Bears at the end of the year. A notable name has emerged as a serious candidate to succeed him.
Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren has drawn interest from Chicago, as detailed by Matt Fortuna, Adam Jahns, Nicole Auerbach, Max Olson and Dan Pompei of The Athletic (subscription required). They report that Warren has interviewed with the Bears on at least two occasions for the position, as the team continues to undergo a lengthy search for its first new president since 1999.
Warren, 59, began a lengthy NFL executive career with the Rams in 1997. His time there was followed by a three-year stint with the Lions and 15 years in Minnesota. That stretch included the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium — a feat of considerable importance to the Bears at the moment, as one of their front office’s top priorities is replacing Soldier Field.
It is Warren’s time with the Vikings (which ended in 2019) in particular that has led to the Bears showing considerable interest in hiring him, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He adds that Warren has interviewed in person for the position as one of the finalists to be offered the role. The only other candidate to be publicly named is Cubs chief commercial officer Colin Faulkner.
For the past three years, Warren has served as the Big Ten’s commissioner. His tenure was met with controversy and criticism due to his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which ultimately led to a shortened season taking place. More recently, his most notable moves have been the agreement that will see USC and UCLA join the conference in 2024, along with a 10-figure media broadcast rights deal which takes effect next year. 2022 is the first season in the Big Ten’s history in which two of its teams (second-ranked Michigan and No. 4 seed Ohio State) have qualified for the College Football Playoff.
On the subject of a timeframe for when a hire will be announced, the Bears said in a statement, via Thamel: “We have not set a timeline for announcing Ted Phillips’ successor. Our search team has cast a wide net, spoken to many outstanding candidates and looks forward to introducing our next president and CEO at the process’s conclusion.”
Thamel notes that Warren has not been given an extension since his tenure with the Big Ten began, but the particulars of his contract are not known. In the future, however, he could be in line for a move bringing him back to front-office work at the pro level.
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