Former Landstown, Salem coach Chris Beatty reportedly hired by Chicago Bears as assistant
Chris Beatty’s latest stop in a well-traveled football coaching career is Chicago.
Beatty, a former high school coach in Virginia Beach, has been hired as the Chicago Bears’ wide receivers coach, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, citing a source.
The Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday the Bears were working to hire Beatty, but it was not yet official.
Beatty held the same position with the Los Angeles Chargers this season — his third in LA — but was not retained after the team hired Jim Harbaugh as head coach. The Chargers fired Brandon Staley late in the regular season and announced Harbaugh’s hiring last week.
Beatty, 50, helped Los Angeles receivers lead the NFL in receptions over the past two seasons, and the unit was second in total yards during that span, according to Sports Illustrated.
Beatty’s early coaching career included successful stints at Salem and Landstown high schools in Virginia Beach. He coached Landstown from 2003-06 and guided the Eagles to three straight state championship games and a 40-2 record. His 2004 team, led by star Percy Harvin, won the Group AAA state title and finished 14-0.
Since then, Beatty has had college coaching stints at Hampton, Northern Illinois, West Virginia, Vanderbilt, Illinois, Wisconsin, Virginia, Maryland and Pittsburgh. Staley, who was on the Northern Illinois staff with Beatty, hired Beatty for his first NFL job three years ago in Los Angeles.
In Chicago, Beatty would replace Tyke Tolbert as Bears wide receivers coach.
