As the Bears have continued to update staff positions on their website over the past few days, Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com has noticed a few new changes in the team’s front office. According to Stratton, recent promotions have named Trey Koziol the new senior director of player personnel, Breck Ackley the new director of player personnel, Jeff Shiver as a new senior executive scout, Andrea Wright the new football administration & analytics manager, and Jason Harris as a new scouting assistant.
Koziol only arrived in Chicago in 2022, when he was hired as co-director of player personnel. He first started in the NFL as a scouting intern for the Titans in 2008. He was promoted the next year to pro scout and spent four more years in that role in Tennessee. In 2013, he was hired as an area scout in Kansas City, where he reunited with former Boston College teammate Ryan Poles. The Chiefs promoted Koziol to national scout after five years then, three years later, named him assistant director of college scouting. He only worked one year in that role before following Poles to Chicago.
Ackley has been with the Bears since 2012, following a short attempt at coaching at the collegiate level. Working his way up the ranks over the years, Ackley won a BART award as one of the NFL’s top 10 scouts in the inaugural year of the award. He was promoted two years ago to director of college scouting and will now have broader responsibilities over the entire player personnel department alongside Koziol.
Shiver is a longtime veteran of the front office in Chicago, hired back in 1987 as one of only four scouts for the team at the time. He’s seen the department grow, he’s seen the league grow, he may even soon see the team grow their fan base in a new state. Entering his 40th season on the Bears’ staff, Shiver’s presence in the building continues with a new prefix added onto his title.
Wright joined the Bears in 2023 after working roles in analytics at Miami (OH) and Xavier. She started in Chicago as a football research associate and was promoted after a year to football administration and analytics coordinator. After two years in the position, she’s upgraded from coordinator to manager.
Bears have come a long way since the 60’s and my old man used to watch the Bears huddle up and then would state those guys should be arrested. And I went what for? And he said it was a Dope Ring. At least now they have people that look like they know what they’re doing for a change.
Sometimes change is good.
Indiana Bears
I was a Truck driver. spent a lot of time driving through it. All I can say is no it isn’t a good change. What it is, Is a good place to be from. As in now you’re not there anymore. I notice somebody is starting to take the threat seriously as they are working on new stuff while the senate is off. For them to work when they don’t have to means they’re finally taking it seriously.