The Bears on Thursday signed Chris Rumph as a defensive line coach.
Rumph served as a coach for Houston Texans’ external linebackers in 2020, after spending the previous 18 seasons on major college programs. He replaces Jay Rodgers, who left the Bears to join the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rumph worked at some of the best FBS schools in the country, serving as defense co-coordinator and coach for external linebackers in Tennessee (2018-19), defensive line coach and later co-coordinator of defense in Florida (2015-17) , defensive line coach in Texas (2014), defensive line coach in Alabama (2011-13), defensive line coach and then defensive coach in Clemson (2006-10), coach for external linebackers in Memphis (2003-05 ) and defense coach in the State of South Carolina (2002).
In Rumph’s 18 years at the college level, 25 players he coached were selected for the NFL Draft. At Clemson in 2010, he worked with the unanimous defensive All-American Da’Quan Bowers, who led the country in sacks (15.5) and was tied for first in tackles-for-loss (26.0). Bowers won the Nagurski Trophy as the best defense player in the country and the Hendricks Prize as the best defender.
In Alabama, Rumph was part of consecutive national championship teams in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, Crimson Tide’s defense led the country in points per game (8.2) and total yards (183.6). In the national title game, Alabama overcame LSU from first position by 21-0, yielding only the first five downs and allowing LSU to cross the 50 yard line just once in the game.
As a player, Rumph was a linebacker for four years in South Carolina. He compiled 141 career tackles and helped lead the school to its first bowl victory in the 1995 Carquest Bowl.
Rumph began his coaching career in South Carolina as a graduate assistant in the spring of 1997, before spending four seasons as a head coach at Calhoun County High School in his hometown, St. Matthews, South Carolina, from 1997 to 2001.