By Greg Halbleib
NORMAL – Matt Nagy captured the National Football League Coach of the Year honor last season in his first year as a head coach at any level, and related some of the journey to this point to more than 1,000 people during Thursday night’s annual Evening of Stars to benefit the local American Red Cross.
Nagy chatted with the voice of the Illinois State Redbirds, Dick Luedke, for 45 minutes on the stage at the Marriott in Uptown Normal. Nagy recalled his competitive nature surfaced while selling model homes in 2008 when a bonus determined by spinning a wheel went to the best salesman of the month.
“I had no idea how to sell a house, but I was not losing that deal,” Nagy recalled. “I sold eight homes in one month and I walked up to that wheel with the boss walk, man. I spun that wheel and got, like, 50 bucks, and then I realized this isn’t for me.”
Shortly afterward, Nagy began the first of 10 years as an NFL assistant coach, all under Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. He took over the Bears last season. Nagy shrugged off the Coach of the Year award.
“I won’t even put that up in my office,” Nagy said. “I appreciate it, but there’s a better one we all want and we know what that one is.”
Nagy said the disappointing end to last season in the playoffs will only fuel the Bears this year, recalling a phrase he was once told.
“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor. That’s powerful,” Nagy said. “I think that’s what we all need to live by. There are a lot more lows than there are highs. We all remember the lows, but I’m going to make sure this year what we went through last year, we’re going to take any of the lows that we had and we’re going to turn it into a positive, and that’s the only way we’re going to look at it this year.”
The Lancaster, Pa. native recalled advice to gather personalities and skillsets of all types and styles.
“To hire people that are very similar to you personality-wise, that’s the worst thing you can do,” Nagy said. “You take the personalities and you take the skill levels on the football field and you let all that happen with the strengths and weaknesses, then no one is trying to be any different and they’re not trying to be fake. It’s unbelievable how that works.”
Nagy said he’s a risk-taker by nature, but not reckless.
“I’ll use it as a tool if I made a mistake from it because I was too aggressive,” Nagy explained. “It’s got to be calculated. If it’s not calculated and just senseless, you shouldn’t be doing it. But if there’s a method to your madness and it makes sense, then that’s just the line I toe. I believe in aggressiveness and dictating the pace. I believe that in life. I’m not looking back with any regrets.”
Red Cross spokeswoman Maria Henneberry said early totals show the event netted at least $275,000, but more complete totals are expected Friday afternoon.
Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected].
