Ben Johnson is still working to hire an offensive coordinator to replace Declan Doyle, but the Chicago Bears have a new running backs coach.

Eric Studesville is back for a second stint with the Bears, two league sources told the Tribune on Wednesday night. He was hired to replace Eric Bieniemy, who departed to become the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Studesville, 58, originally joined the Bears as a quality control assistant in 1997 on Dave Wannstedt’s staff and spent four seasons with the club working with wide receivers and on special teams. The Madison, Wis., native then left for the New York Giants as a running backs coach and was with the Miami Dolphins for the last nine seasons, overlapping there for two years with Johnson.

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Studesville spent seven seasons with the Denver Broncos and served as the interim head coach for them during 2010 after Josh McDaniels was fired. He was a coach for the Broncos’ Super Bowl L team. In Miami, Studesville was the running backs coach but also had an array of other titles including running game coordinator, co-offensive coordinator and associate head coach.

The Bears ranked third in the NFL in rushing this past season with Bieniemy working with D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai. Swift rushed for a career-high 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns and Monangai had 783 yards, giving the Bears two backs with 700 yards or more for the first time since Walter Payton and Roland Harper accomplished the feat in 1978.

Marshawn Lynch, Willis McGahee, C.J. Anderson and Raheem Mostert all had Pro Bowl seasons playing for Studesville. Twelve running backs have had 1,000-yard seasons playing for Studesville — McGahee (three times), Tiki Barber (twice), Lynch (twice), Knowshon Moreno (once), Fred Jackson (once), Anderson (once), Mostert (once) and De’Von Achane (once).

Johnson is working to hire a replacement for Doyle, 29, who left to call plays for the Baltimore Ravens. Passing game coordinator Press Taylor is believed to be a candidate, and Johnson could consider assistant head coach/receivers coach Antwaan Randle El as well as quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett. NFL Media reported the Bears requested to interview Connor Senger, who was an assistant last season for the Arizona Cardinals.

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https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/chicago-bears-eric-studesville-running-backs-coach/