The Chicago Bears are finalizing a deal to hire Ben Johnson as their new head coach, and now the attention has turned to Johnson building his coaching staff.

For Johnson, that’s likely to include some familiar faces from the Detroit Lions, including his potential offensive coordinator. But his most important hire will be defensive coordinator, as that group already possesses a ton of talent and can contend as a top-10 unit next season.

There are plenty of rumors and speculation about how Johnson could fill out his coaching staff. So we’re keeping track of it all. Keep checking back for updates.

Bears eyeing Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Johnson has been busy assembling a “star-studded” coaching staff in Chicago. Former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen is the leading candidate to become his defensive coordinator, and it would be a huge hire for Johnson. Not only is Allen a proven defensive coordinator, but he has previous head coaching experience that would help Johnson make the transition to head coach.

Darren Rizzi is a possibility for special teams coordinator

Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs singled out a potential candidate for special teams coordinator — Darren Rizzi, who has history with Ben Johnson, as the pair worked together in Miami. But Rizzi will be highly sought after as the Denver Broncos are trying to hire him — as Rizzi worked a long time with Sean Payton — and there are two other teams Biggs believes are in the mix.