Bears land Aaron Kromer but lose Dave Toub to the Kansas City Chiefs

Less than 24 hours after being named Bears head coach, Marc Trestman filled a key position on his staff by hiring Aaron Kromer as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. An NFL assistant since 2001, Kromer spent the past five seasons with the Saints, coaching running backs in 2008 before working with the offensive line/running game from 2009-12.This season Kromer filled in as the Saints' interim head coach for the first six games while Sean Payton and Joe Vitt were both serving suspensions imposed by the NFL. In Kromer's four seasons tutoring the offensive line, New Orleans sent five linemen to a combined nine Pro Bowls and tied for the fewest sacks allowed in the NFL with 96. The all-stars included tackles Jermon Bushrod (2012) and Jon Stinchcomb (2010), guards Jahri Evans (2010-13) and Carl Nicks (2011-12) and center Jonathan Goodwin (2010). This season the Saints ranked second in the NFL in total yards with 410.9 per game and third in scoring with 28.8 points. They also permitted only 26 sacks, tied for the third fewest in the league. In 2011, the Saints set NFL records with 7,474 total yards (467.1 per game) and 5,347 passing yards (334.2) while ranking second in scoring (34.2 points) and tied for second with 24 sacks. The Saints won their first Super Bowl in Kromer's first season with the team in 2008, leading the NFL in total offense (403.8 yards) and scoring (31.9 points).  Kromer entered the NFL with the Raiders, first as assistant offensive line coach in 2001 and then offensive line coach from 2002-04. From 2001-03, Kromer worked on the same staff as Trestman, including in 2002 when Oakland led the league in total offense and reached the Super Bowl. Kromer spent three seasons as an offensive assistant with the Buccaneers from 2005-07 before joining the Saints. Kromer played offensive tackle for three seasons at Miami University in Ohio from 1987-89 before starting his coaching career at his alma mater from 1990-98. He then served as Northwestern's offensive line coach in 1999-2000 before entering the NFL.

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub is leaving the Bears after nine seasons to serve in the same capacity with the Kansas City Chiefs and new head coach Andy Reid. After working together for five straight seasons at UTEP and Missouri from 1987-91, Reid gave Toub his first NFL job in 2001 as assistant special teams coach with the Philadelphia Eagles.Under Toub's direction, the Bears ranked among the top nine in the NFL on special teams each of the past seven seasons, according to a composite system devised by Dallas Morning News columnist Rick Gosselin that includes 22 different statistical categories. The Bears ranked first in 2006 and 2007, eighth in 2008, sixth in 2009, fourth in 2010, third in 2011 and ninth in 2012. "Being at a place for nine years is very rare," Toub said. "I interviewed for the [Bears'] head job and didn't get it, and I just thought it would be a good time for me to look at other opportunities. It's always good to have a new beginning and I wanted a new beginning. That's really what it was. "It was a great opportunity to join the guy who actually got me in the league. It's good to get back together with Andy and start from scratch and try to build something back up again. Professionally, I just think it's a good move." During Toub's tenure with the Bears, five special teams players combined to be voted to eight Pro Bowls. The list includes Devin Hester (2006, 2007, 2010), Brendon Ayanbadejo (2006 and 2007), Robbie Gould (2006), Johnny Knox (2009) and Corey Graham (2011). Toub coached the most prolific return specialist in NFL history in Hester, who owns league records with 17 kick return touchdowns and 12 punt return TDs. Hester set the NFL single-season record with five kick return TDs as a rookie in 2006 before breaking the mark with six in 2007. In Toub's nine seasons, six different players returned 22 kicks for touchdowns, and that doesn't count two 108-yard TD returns of missed field goals by Hester and Nate Vasher or Hester's 92-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI. Gould, who signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2005, has become the third most accurate field-goal kicker in NFL history with an 85.6 percent success rate (208 of 243). "It's been great," Toub said. "For a special teams coordinator, the personnel that we've been fortunate to have come through here has been unbelievable, the amount of Pro Bowl players we've had and guys like [long-snapper] Patrick Mannelly and [punter] Adam Podlesh." Toub always appreciated how much coach Lovie Smith stressed special teams. "Lovie knew the importance of special teams and put such an emphasis on it in practice," Toub said. "That coming from the top makes your job a lot easier on special teams, and it was a pleasure to work for him with the philosophy that he brought to the team. "I also want to thank the McCaskeys and everyone in the building. They're good, solid people who were great to me."