LAKE FOREST, Ill. (WGN) — His name is Declan Doyle. He’s a 28-year-old Iowan who’s the product of relentless ambition and the Sean Payton coaching tree. Now, he’s the new offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears who’s tasked with creating buy-in and being the COO of Ben Johnson’s offense.
A COO — or chief operating officer — is described as being a senior executive who’s responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a company, ensuring efficient and effective execution of business strategies by managing various departments, optimizing processes, and collaborating with other leadership to achieve organizational goals.
The functions of Doyle’s job will be a lot like a point guard distributing information to the rest of his teammates before a play is run. He describes it as being a …
“Table-setting role. I think that’s a great way to describe it,” Doyle said. “Ben is going to have less time than he’s ever had as a play caller so, I think that’s morphing as we go. We’ll figure out what that looks like. But my job is really going to be to organize, in detail, the game plan initially.
“I have to do that work he’s not going to have time to do, and he’s going to have to be able to trust me, that I’m going to be able to give him the correct information that he needs as a decision maker.”
As the youngest coordinator on either side of the ball in the NFL, Doyle will be charged with creating buy-in among a locker room where a number of players will outrank him in both age and NFL experience.
When it comes to how he’ll create that trust with his players, the answer is simple to Doyle.
“Knowledge is power.”
“That is what the guys care about. Ultimately, last year was the first time that I’ve ever actually been older than all the players in my room,” Doyle said. “I’ve been coaching — this is going to be my 10th year, but that’s really been a part of my journey to this point. PLayers care about [how] can you help? Can you put me in position to be successful, to help the organization and my family?
“That’s earned. You have to put in the work and earn that trust, that confidence, and that’s my point here. Hit the ground running and go to work.”
Doyle said some of the excitement of working with a coach like Johnson comes from the similarities he’s noticed in the systems he’s already been a part of. Then when he took those mental notes and compared them with the success the Lions had with Johnson calling plays, it created an ideal opportunity.
“Watching Detroit from afar, there’s a lot of similarities between what we did in New Orleans and Denver [with] the offense that he’s built,” Doyle said. “I think it’s the modern version of that so, I’m excited to sit down with Ben, discuss scheme, discuss things that fit our personnel and be able to shape this thing around the personnel that we have here.”
Doyle arrived in Chicago after spending the last two seasons as the tight ends coach for Payton and the Denver Broncos. Doyle was a part of an offensive coaching staff that helped Denver crack the Top 10 in points per game (25.0, 10th) and red zone touchdown percentage (62.5%, 7th) in 2024.
Prior to Denver, Doyle spent four years as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints (2019-22), three years of which were under Payton, and one year was under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
“I think the No. 1 thing that stands out the moment you meet him, you sense a highly intelligent person, a guy that’s been around the game, a guy that understands the game,” Allen said. “He understands the game from a multitude of different perspectives. I think he’s a really good, bright young coach that has a really good future in front of him.”
Over his four seasons with New Orleans, Doyle worked within an offensive coaching staff that helped produce eight players who were named to a combined 12 Pro Bowls over those four seasons. Over his first two seasons with the Saints, New Orleans averaged 28.3 offensive points per game, the second-best rate among all NFL offenses over that two-year span.
“Over the last six years, I’ve had a lot people that have had huge impacts on me,” Doyle said. “I wouldn’t be sitting in front of [Chicago media] if they didn’t impart knowledge and wisdom into me. I want to thank coach Payton first and foremost. Twice he’s pulled me from relative anonymity. When I was 22 at the University of Iowa, he gave me my first NFL job and allowed me to come into New Orleans and work for him for three years.
“When Sean went to Denver, I followed him out there and he gave me a promotion. I was able to be a position coach for the first time. I’ve learned so much from Sean. He’s a Hall of Fame head coach and he’s had a big impact on me and how I’ve ended up here.”