Limestone Head Football Coach Lands Role With Chicago Bears Staff

Limestone College’s loss is the Chicago Bears’ gain as it was announced this week that Saints head football coach Mike Furrey is heading back to the NFL.

Furrey, who compiled a record of 10-12 in his two seasons at the helm of the Limestone program, has been hired by new Bears head coach Matt Nagy to coach wide receivers. Nagy previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Kanas City Chiefs.

Prior to becoming the Saints’ head coach, Furrey served for three seasons as the wide receivers coach at Marshall University. He was also the head coach at Kentucky Christian University for two years.

Nagy is getting a proven wide receivers coach in Furrey. During his tenure with Marshall, Furrey helped guide the Thundering Herd to three straight bowl wins and the 2014 Conference USA Championship. Marshall led Conference USA in scoring offense while ranking in the Top-5 nationally in total offense during the 2013 and 2014 campaigns.

An eight-year NFL veteran, Furrey played wide out for the Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns, and Washington Redskins. He also saw time in the NFL as a defensive back. Twice nominated for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award while with the Lions, Furrey was a finalist for the prestigious award during the 2009 season as a member of the Browns. The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award honors a player’s volunteer and charitable work as well as his excellence on the field.

“We can’t express how much we appreciate what Coach Furrey did for Limestone football and our student-athletes both on and off the field,” said Mike Cerino, Limestone’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. “Our program made huge strides during Coach Furrey’s tenure. We wish him nothing but the very best as he makes this exciting move to the NFL. Our goal now turns to finding the next coach who will build on this momentum and lead our football program to even greater success.”

Furrey and Nagy have a history together, playing as teammates during their days with the Arena Football League.

Brian Turk, Limestone’s running backs coach and recruiting coordinator, has been named the Saints’ interim head coach while the national search for Furrey’s replacement takes place.

Turk is a former University of South Carolina graduate assistant coach and assistant director of recruiting. He joined the Limestone staff after spending nine years at Carolina where he worked his way up through the ranks, first as a student manager, then as an offensive intern and a graduate assistant coach for Steve Spurrier, before eventually being named the assistant director of recruiting on Will Muschamp’s staff in 2016.

(Article and photo by Charles Wyatt, Limestone College Communications. Accompanying photo from Furrey's introductory press conference at Limestone College).