Sources: John Fox, Bears near deal
— -- A deal for John Fox to become the new head coach of the Chicago Bears is "all but done," sources told ESPN on Friday.
Fox, who mutually parted ways with the Denver Broncos after their divisional playoff loss, would become Chicago's third head coach since 2012, taking over for Marc Trestman, who was fired Dec. 29 along with general manager Phil Emery.
The Bears, who have missed the postseason four consecutive years, went 13-19 in Trestman's two seasons.
The team had earlier confirmed that Fox had visited Halas Hall on Wednesday.
Fox guided the Broncos to 49 overall wins and four consecutive AFC West titles from 2011 to 2014. He led Denver to Super Bowl XLVIII, where the Broncos lost 43-8 to the Seattle Seahawks.
The Broncos were defeated by the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC divisional playoffs last Sunday.
Before Denver, Fox spent nine years in Carolina, qualifying for the postseason three times. Fox went 78-74 overall with the Panthers, including another Super Bowl runner-up appearance.
Fox is also a seasoned defensive coach, serving as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Raiders and New York Giants.
Fox has connections to Bears general manager Ryan Pace and consultant Ernie Accorsi. Fox worked for Accorsi in New York, and is close friends and former colleagues with Pace's close confident, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.
Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com contributed to this report.
