Matt Nagy

At 46 years old, Matt Nagy has this physical status:

Matthew Nagy (NEH-ghee or NAG-ee) (born April 24, 1978) is an American football coach and former arena football quarterback who is currently the head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. (NFL). He played football for the University of Delaware from 1997 to 2000, where he set various school passing records.

He joined the Arena Football League (AFL), where he spent six seasons with the New York Dragons, Carolina Cobras, Georgia Force, and the Columbus Destroyers after failing to get a NFL deal. Nagy became an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 after spending five seasons under head coach Andy Reid's leadership.

Nagy followed Reid to become the quarterbacks coach in 2013, a position he held until he was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2016.

Nagy was named head coach of the Bears in 2018, leading the team to their first NFC North championship and playoff appearance since 2010.

Early life

Matthew Nagy was born in Dunellen, New Jersey, on April 24, 1978, and spent as a child in Piscataway. After Matt moved with Stouch from Piscataway to Manheim, Pennsylvania, his parents, Gail Stouch and Bill Nagy, divorced when he was three years old. Nagy played in many sports, including football; teammates characterized him as "very competitive; even if it was about a basketball game on his driveway," he said.

He played high school football and basketball for Manheim Central High School in Pennsylvania, making him the starting quarterback in the former's junior year. In 1994, he led the Barons to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class AAA playoffs, where they defeated the Berwick Bulldogs in the semifinals. Manheim Central was on a 26-game winning streak going into the game and was ranked No. 1. No. 1 and No. 1 in Class AAA and No. 3 respectively. In the country Today's national rankings, the 17th place in the national rankings. Although the Barons primarily used the veer running offense, head coach Mike Williams decided to upgrade to a pass-heavy system for the Berwick game, causing the Bulldogs to be stunned. In the semifinals, Nagy completed 20 of 28 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns, but they lost by 28 seconds due to an interception.

Nagy ran for 358 yards and six touchdowns in 1995 and finished with 1,928 yards and 21 touchdowns. In their final seven matches, Manheim Central went 13–0 with over 5,500 total offensive yards and averaged 48.3 points per game. However, the Barons lost in the semifinals to Berwick for the second straight season, with Nagy losing early in the game to clinch an 18-17 victory. He brought an end to his senior year by being named Lancaster County Most Valuable Player.

Williams praised Nagy "perhaps my favorite of all time I've coached"; although the two sides fought over differences, Williams lauded Nagy for his on-field confidence and charisma. Nagy graduated from high school with a 26–2 record and over 3,500 yards in total.

Personal life

In 2002, Nagy married his high school sweetheart Stacey. The two sons are four years old. He served as a mentor in the Manheim Central School District before joining the Arena Football League. Nagy spent time at Keystone Custom Homes, getting the position after Steve Saunders introduced him to Keystone executive Larry Wisdom. Wisdom's blessing, he left the company when he joined the Eagles full time.

Nagy stayed close with both parents despite his parents' divorce. Bill's father, who earned a state championship with Elizabeth High School in 1980, is a former defensive line coach for New Jersey high schools. He worked as a businessman in various ventures before becoming a mentor in 2009, teaching at schools in the areas where Matt was teaching at the time. Nagy's older brother, Luke and Jenna, is on his father's side; Luke and Jenna played receiver and safety at Manheim Central High School.

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College career

Despite his high success in high school, Nagy did not receive many offers from NCAA Division I-A colleges due to his slow 40-yard dash time of 4.7 seconds and small stature of 6 ft 1+12 in (1.87 m) and 186 kg). Though Syracuse and Wake Forest were both interested in him, the schools decided against signing other quarterbacks. Rather, he was given scholarships from Division I-AA schools Delaware and New Hampshire, gaining an interest in the former after watching James Madison's game against them in 1995. Nagy verbally committed to Delaware, though Rutgers head coach Terry Shea expressed an interest in recruiting him.

He appeared for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens from 1997 to 2000. Although the Blue Hens traditionally used a run-heavy Wing T offense under head coach Tubby Raymond, Nagy, and other top receivers, a rise in passing has resulted; in 2000, Delaware's offense attempted at least 30 passes in eight of thirteen games. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and Bears assistant Brian Ginn were among Nagy's current and future coaching colleagues, with the former serving quarterback as the starting quarterback before Nagy.

Nagy was Ginn's replacement in 1997 after redshirting his freshman year. Nagy recalled Ginn in the first round of the I-AA playoffs when he hurt his shoulder. The Blue Hens defeated Georgia Southern in the quarterfinals, with Nagy passing 9 of 15 passes for 125 yards. McNeese State's quarterback threw two second-half touchdown passes in the semifinals, but McNeese State defeated McNeese State 20-20, with a last-second field goal.

Ginn and Nagy partnered in the beginning of the 1998 season, but the former strained his leg against West Chester in the third game of the year, and he was unable to play for the remainder of the season. Nagy finished the year with 20 touchdown passes against 12 interceptions and a 157.36 passer rating, the second-best in the country, with yards in a game (556 against Connecticut). With 1,712 on 98 receptions, wide receiver Eddie Conti also helped break the NCAA record for receiving yards in a season.

Nagy was the first permanent starter for Ginn in 1999. Nagy suffered a high ankle sprain in a 26-19 loss to UMass, causing him to miss time and snapping a 15-game winning streak. The Blue Hens won the next two games with Ginn. Nagy returned to Rhode Island a limited amount the following week, but the game was delayed in the third quarter because he didn't finish any of his four pass attempts before being substituted for Mike Medley in the final period. For the season finale against Villanova, Ginn remained the starter. Nagy came on early in the fourth quarter and threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Butter Pressley to put the Blue Hens up 45-24 after Ginn was briefly suspended from the game. However, Villanova won 51–45 in overtime after tied the game with 21 unanswered points to tie the tie.

Nagy and the Blue Hens won just one game during their rookie season in 2000, finishing second in Division I-AA, despite the offensive's average of 42.6 points and 460 yards per game. Delaware kicked out Portland State 49–14, a feat that Nagy threw for 263 yards, two touchdowns, and one interceptor; Nagy threw for two touchdowns, one interception; Nagy's season total number to 2,981, surpassing the school record set in 1998. In the quarterfinals, a 47-22 victory over Lehigh defeated him 47-22, making him the first quarterback in Delaware to pass for over 3,000 passing yards in a season. The Blue Hens' season came to an end in the semifinal when they lost to Georgia Southern 27–18. In his last college game, Nagy completed 16 of 38 attempts for 189 yards and an interception. He ended the season with 3,436 passing yards, the lowest school record set at the time until Joe Flacco eclipsed the record in 2007, as well as a school record of 29 touchdown throws. Nagy was voted third-team I-AA All-American for his campaign, becoming Delaware's first All-American quarterback since Rich Gannon in 1986.

Nagy ended his college career with 8,214 passing yards, 58 touchdown passes, and a score of 146.74, all of which were among the best in team history. He majored and obtained a bachelor's degree in health and physical education as an undergraduate (PE). In June 2019, he returned to the university to speak at the school's commencement address and received an honorary degree as a Doctor of Science.

Professional career

Nagy expressed concern for the New York Giants as a free agent after not being selected in the 2001 NFL Draft, but the acquisition of Jesse Palmer ended that possibility. He participated in a tryout with the Green Bay Packers on September 11, but he was not signed. Later interviews with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Jets, the third since starting his arena football career in 2002, and a phone call with Minnesota Vikings officials that did not result in contracts.

Am I going to get a chance in the NFL?

Nagy played for the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League, when he had no plans in the NFL. He paid a visit to head coach John Gregory, who likened him to former Iowa Barnstormers quarterback Kurt Warner as the two were both similar in size and had common leadership traits. Gregory was also close to Raymond and formerly served on the Wing T offense, boosting his decision to sign Nagy. The Dragons gave him a three-year contract, but agent Art Weiss decided for a two-year contract.

Nagy made his AFL debut against the Los Angeles Avengers in the fourth quarter when he overthrew AFC Danny Ragsdale in the fourth quarter; he completed three of eight passes for 68 yards and a touchdown to Steve Papin as New York lost 43–25. He was later named starter for the Buffalo Destroyers game, where he was 27-of-37 for 300 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a 69-54 victory. Nagy was forced out for Danny Kanell, who threw three touchdowns to lead the Dragons to a 44–37 victory and then became the starter in the Detroit Fury match. Kanell's struggles against the Orlando Predators in June prompted Nagy to return to action in the fourth quarter, where he threw a 12-yard touchdown to Jason Maxwell for his lone score in the 52-33 loss. Aaron Garcia, New York's regular starting quarterback until signing with the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason, has rejoined the team for the remainder of the 2002 season. Nagy played in his rookie year, finishing with 1,242 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

During a flag football game in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) that barred him from playing in the 2003 season. He spent the year as a substitute PE teacher and rehabilitation his leg with trainer Steve Saunders. Nagy, the team's color commentator for radio broadcasts, was on the team's roster when not on the Dragons' active roster.

Nagy was traded to the Carolina Cobras in exchange for lineman Tim McGill, who was born on November 13, 2003. Gregory was hired by the Cobras as offensive coordinator for the 2004 season after going 0-16 in 2003. Nagy tallied 282 passing yards and seven total touchdowns in the first game of the year against the Dallas Desperados (six passing, one rushing) as Carolina defeated 67-41 and snapped a 17-game losing streak. The opening victory was followed by a 54-53 victory over the Columbus Destroyers when Nagy threw the game-winning touchdown to Damien Groce as time expired. Nevertheless, the Cobras lost the next four games and head coach Ed Khayat was fired, contributing to Gregory's promotion. The Cobras defeated the Cobras 43-43 in Gregory's first game with him as interim head coach in the third quarter, with 24 unanswered points in the third quarter and Nagy's four touchdown passes.

Carolina dropped to 3-7, winning only one of their last eight games, while Rickey Foggie assumed the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. Carolina finished the season 6-10, and Nagy completed 237 of 348 passes for 2,371 yards, 47 touchdowns, and six interceptions in ten starts. Nagy's 2,371 passing yards were ranked sixth in the league at the time of his benching.

Nagy, a young agent, spent the day on the Philadelphia Soul with the intention of playing near home until they signed Tony Graziani. While the Colorado Crush also gave him a contract, he ultimately signed a one-year contract with the Georgia Force on October 27, 2004. Nagy was impressed with Kubiak's health history, as he had missed much of the 2003 season with a herniated disc. Arthur Blank, the force's new owner, was also blamed for his decision, considering that the Force would "almost be like a minor-league team for the Falcons." "It's a good thing for me to stick with the Falcons."

Kubiak was the starter and led the Force to a 4–1 start in 2005 before suffering a season-ending left knee injury against the Austin Wranglers. Nagy's first appearance was a six-yard touchdown to Troy Bergeron, the first being a six-yard touchdown as the Force defeated 66-63; he finished the game with 247 passing yards and seven touchdowns. Nagy's release service was "probably the single biggest event for our team," according to head coach Doug Plank. To have a setback of that magnitude – losing your quarterback – and then seeing Matt step in and do the job as normal – all the season's momentum will kick in." The Force went 11-5 in the regular season with Nagy playing the next 12 games.

Nagy threw five touchdowns in a 62-49 victory over the Storm to open the 2005 playoffs. In the 60-58 victory over the Predators over ArenaBowl XIX, he continued his postseason triumph with seven touchdown throws and a rushing score. Nagy passed out 24 of 36 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns, as well as a running touchdown, but Colorado's Clay Rush scored a 20-yard field goal, defeating time 51–48. Nagy finished the regular season with 260 of 388 passes for 3,003 yards, 66 touchdowns, and ten interceptions, among other things, and was named second-team All-Arena.

Nagy convinced ex Delaware teammate Jamin Elliott to join the service in October, the first time in 2006. Georgia regressed to an 8-08 regular season record last year, despite the fact that the team was plagued by internal divisions as a result of the team's poor performance. When the AFL's trade deadline neared, rumors suggested that Nagy would be traded to the Philadelphia Soul for Tony Graziani, although the Las Vegas Gladiators contacted the Force for his services. Despite his team's struggles, Nagy set new records in completions and attempts (372 for 527), passing yards (4,265), and touchdowns (85), leading the league in passer ratings (125.5). As Georgia defeated 72-69, the Force qualified for the playoffs and met the Dragons in the first round, where Nagy made 28 of 39 of 39 of this throws for 362 yards and ten total touchdowns, nine of which were by passing. The Dallas Desperados' 72-27 defeat put the Force out of the playoffs, but Nagy was 21 for 35 with 206 passing yards and four touchdowns; he was also intercepted twice.

Nagy was traded to the Destroyers for lineman Mike Sutton in 2006, when the former coach said "the coaches in Georgia [wanting] to go in a different direction." In addition,, Kubiak was instrumental in the decision to leave Nagy, having left his playing career after 2005 to become the Force's Director of Player Personnel. Nagy completed his two-year tenure in Georgia as the team's most prolific passer (7,268), completions (632), and touchdowns (151).

The 2007 Destroyers opened the season 6–4 before losing five straight games. Nagy led Columbus to a 7-39 victory and a playoff berth after needing a victory over the Dragons to clinch the National Conference's final playoff position. He threw for 3,561 yards and 75 touchdowns in the regular season. Nagy failed two extra point conversions in weeks fifteen and sixteen, including one in the Kansas City Brigade's 44 seconds to put the Destroyers up 47–35 with 30 seconds left; against Philadelphia, with Columbus leading 53-41 early in the fourth quarter, he attempted a drop kick to no success.

The Destroyers were in the first round of the Storm; Nagy scored the go-ahead touchdown with seven seconds remaining in the game. Seth Marler of Tampa Bay scored the game-winning field goal but time ran out to secure the 56-55 victory. For his efforts, he was named Offensive Player of the Game. They met the 15-1 Desperados in Dallas in the second round, the first team in league history to win 15 games in the regular season and riding a 12-game home win streak. Columbus defeated Dallas 66–59 for their second straight World Championship appearance after trailing 35-21 during the second quarter, while Nagy was 20 for 32 for 285 yards and six touchdowns (four passing, two rushing) as Columbus defeated Dallas 66–59. Nagy defeated the 14-2 Force in the Conference Championship; against his former squad and one interception, he finished 23 of 34 passes for 209 yards, five touchdowns, and one interceptor; he scored on each of his two carries as the Destroyers defeated 66–56.

The Destroyers had a chance to become the second straight 7-9 team to win the championship in ArenaBowl XX, defeating the Chicago Bulls in ArenaBowl XXI. The Columbus offense averaged 63 points in three playoff games, compared to 50.1 during the regular season, while Nagy had 14 touchdown passes against two interceptions. However, the Destroyers' average dropped by 33 points in a 53-33 loss, much lower than their postseason average. Nagy completed 24 of 43 passes for 203 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. On August 8, he signed a two-year contract with the team.

Nagy's head coach Doug Kay selected Nagy to play and act as the de facto offensive coordinator for the 2008 season, but the Destroyers floundered a slew of losers, starting the year 1–4. Lary Kuharich was hired as offensive coordinator by Kuharich for the first time this season, and Columbus won 541–49 with Nagy's six-touchdown day. The Destroyers ended the year 3-13, tied for the lowest record in the league, and Kay was suspended. Nagy completed a total of 358 passes (out of 576 attempts) for 4,440 yards, 74 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

Due to the Great Recession, Nagy's playing career came to an end. He had over 18,000 passing yards, 374 touchdowns, 55 interceptions, and 22 rushing touchdowns in six seasons.

Coaching career

Nagy, a quarterback from Manheim Central High School in 2001, was recalled as the quarterbacks coach. He was accepted to teach at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where his wife, Stacey, was the girls' track coach, and the following year. Nagy spent time with the varsity team as well as being the head coach of the junior varsity football team. He was with Cedar Crest from 2003 to 2003.

Nagy began working with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2008 NFL offseason, and he was named offensive coordinator at Palmyra, Pennsylvania. In his first season, the Cougars went 5–5. He played for the team through 2009, when the team set a new record of 4–6 before switching to a full-time job in the NFL.

Nagy was welcomed back to Philadelphia and volunteered for the Eagles for the third time in 2009. The Eagles attempted to sign Nagy as a player three days before their preseason game against the New England Patriots; backup quarterback Kevin Kolb sustained a knee injury; and third-string A. J. Feeley avoided putting pressure on starter Donovan McNabb; Although Nagy was a mentor, head coach Andy Reid argued that he was not being paid for the position and could therefore play. Nagy agreed to the deal early in the game, but the league terminated it soon after, indicating that he was still under AFL control. In addition, clubs were not allowed to exclude potential players from coaching positions. Adam DiMichele was eventually admitted to fill the open slot. Nagy was hired as an assistant to Reid in a full-time role, a position in which Nagy joked made him the "assistant to the assistant." Nagy's career with the Eagles began with quality control coach Doug Pederson, who took his position as the quarterback coach in 2011.

Reid was fired by the Eagles and moved to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012, taking Pederson and Nagy with him as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, respectively, after a 4–12 campaign. Pederson returned to the Eagles in 2016 to serve as their head coach, and Nagy was promoted to co-offensive coordinator alongside spread game analyst Brad Childress; during games, Childress worked from a stadium skybox and Nagy on the sidelines. Nagy immediately interacted with the quarterback, although Reid called the plays.

Nagy's uncle was hired by the Chiefs before the 2017 season, but the Nagys' head coach Todd Bowles was refused by the Chiefs; now-Jets head coach Todd Bowles was a Nagy family friend who played for Nagy's father in high school as well as with Nagy on the Eagles coaching staff in 2012. Nagy became the lone offensive coordinator when Childress was promoted to assistant head coach. Reid ceded play-calling duties to Nagy in December, with the Chiefs at 6–5 after a 5–0 start to the season. The Chiefs defeated the Chiefs 4–1 and averaged 28.6 points during the stretch, according to Nagy. Kansas City's offense, which was ranked 20th in 2016, was the fifth-best unit in the NFL in 2017; quarterback Alex Smith led the NFL in passer rating with 104.7 as he threw for a career-best 26 touchdown passes and 4,042 passing yards. The Chiefs were defeated by the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round after the Titans erased a 21–3 lead in the second half to win 22-21; amid rumors that Reid was calling plays again, Nagy reaffirmed that he was doing so and called the game a "milure in my book."

Nagy was hired by the Chicago Bears on January 8, 2018 to be the 16th head coach in team history. Reid rallied for Nagy and dubbed him the "best head-coaching candidate he's ever had." Nagy was the first Delaware alumnus to serve as an NFL head coach.

Nagy convinced defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who supervised a top-ten-ranked Bears defense in 2017 and was also interviewed for the team's head coaching position and assistants to remain in assembling his staff. Dave Ragone, the lone Fox offensive assistant, was the quarterback to stay in Chicago. Nagy recruited coaches with prior exposure to him, including Childress as a senior offensive consultant, former Chiefs assistant special teams coordinator Bill Shuey, and former Dragons teammates Mike Furn as wide receivers coach Mike Furny, as a senior offensive consultant during the 2018 offseason and training camp, along with former Chiefs assistant Bill Shuey as quality control coaches and former Bulldogs assistant coach Mike Fury as wide receivers coach Mike Fury.

The Bears won the NFC North for the first time since 2010 in Nagy's first season as head coach. Since defeating the Green Bay Packers on December 16 to rise to 10–4, he became the second Bears rookie head coach in team history to win ten games. With two more victories in his first year as a head coach, he and Paddy Driscoll (1956) became the first Bears coaches to have a winning record and qualify for the playoffs in their first seasons. In the Wild Card Round 16–15, the Bears were defeated by Pederson and the Eagles, who also hit the crossbar twice. The Pro Football Writers Association and the Associated Press awarded Nagy Coach of the Year in January 2019. He was the first Bears coach since Lovie Smith in 2005 and the fifth in team history. George Halas, Mike Ditka, Dick Jauron, and Lovie Smith are all the fifth coach in team history to win at least 12 games in a season.

Fangio left the Bears to become the Denver Broncos head coach after the 2018 season, and Nagy recruited Pagano as the head coach. Nagy reunited with Childress, who returned to the Bears as a senior offensive assistant, and Mark DeLeone, who was the Chiefs' inside linebackers coach during Nagy's tenure and will continue in Chicago in the same role. Despite a 3-1 start to the 2019 season, offensive failures, and a four-game losing streak, the team fell to 4–6. Despite winning three straight games to stay in playoff contention, the Packers' loss in Week 15 sent them to 7-7 and put them out of playoff contention. The Bears won 8-8 in 2018, while Nagy's combined 20 victories in 2018 and 2019 were the most by a Bears head coach in his first two seasons. Chicago continued to suffer through the season, with an offense ranked 29th in the league for the 2019 season. The season's conclusion sparked offensive personnel change, including the dismissal of offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich.

Juan Castillo, the offensive line coach who worked with him in Philadelphia, and quarterback John DeFilippo, who was also a former Eagles coach, were among Nagy's new assistants for the 2020 season. Nick Foles, a quarterback for Nagy in Philadelphia and Kansas City, was also traded to face rookie Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears opened the season 5–1, but a six-game losing streak followed. Nagy relinquished play calling duties to new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor as the offense's struggles continued throughout the first nine games of the year and into the stretch, including being ranked 29th in points per game and 31st in yards per play. Despite losing a Week 17 contest to the Packers, where a victory would have guaranteed them a playoff spot, the 8-08 Bears made the playoffs for the second time in three years under Nagy, after winning a tiebreaker with the Arizona Cardinals. They were then ruled out of the Wild Card round after losing by 21–9 to the New Orleans Saints.

The Bears' starting quarterback over first-round rookie Justin Fields was fired by free agency Andy Dalton, while Nagy promoted safeties coach Sean Desai to defensive coordinator after Pagano retired. After Dalton sustained an injury, the team was named the starter in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, but the offense struggled with just 47 net yards against the Cleveland Browns, with only one net passing yard recorded. For the next week's game against Detroit, Nagy gave up play calling back to Lazor. Despite a 3–2 start, the Bears lost for the third year in a row, with Fields suffering multiple injuries throughout the year. Nagy tested positive for COVID-19 on October 25, resulting in special teams coordinator Chris Tabor taking over head coaching duties against the San Francisco 49ers for Week 8. Chicago will finish the season with a 6–11 record, their first losing season since 2017 and Nagy's first as a head coach.

The Bears fired Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace on January 10, 2022. Nagy's time in Chicago ended with a 34-31 (.523) record in four seasons, including a 0–2 playoff record. Nagy praised the team "for the opportunity to lead one of the game's most storied franchises" for four years, in a tweet released following his dismissal.

Nagy was hired by the Chiefs on February 25, 2022 as a senior assistant and quarterbacks coach, replacing the outgoing Mike Kafka.

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