In recent news, the Chicago Bears announced Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham and Senior National Scout Francis St. Paul will participate in the Front Office & General Manager Accelerator from December 11-13 at the League meeting in Dallas, Texas.
This program is responsible for continuing the NFL’s efforts to strengthen the pipeline of diverse candidates across all levels of the League, according to the Bears.
“I’m extremely excited for the opportunity Ian and Francis will have in Dallas,” said Bears General Manager Ryan Poles.
“The NFL does a great job preparing rising stars in front offices around the League through this Accelerator program, and I know they are both looking forward to participating.”
The accelerator is the fourth time the league has put on the event since it was launched in 2022 and follows the Coach Accelerator that was held May 2023 in Minneapolis.
In a refresh to the selection process, Clubs were asked to nominate individuals internal and external to their organizations, which were then vetted by an NFL selection committee.
The Bears said 42 highly qualified candidates from player personnel, football operations and assistant general manager disciplines were all selected for the opportunity to build relationships with club owners and executives ahead of the hiring cycle, according to the organization.
In addition to networking, candidates will participate in a range of personal and professional development programming, including practice interviews led by former general managers and leadership sessions from outside experts.
For the first time, personal development workshops have been included to focus on candidates’ overall wellness and mental preparedness when applying for roles.
Ian Cunningham is in his second season in Chicago after being named assistant general manager on January 29, 2022.
He brings 14 years of NFL front office experience to the Bears’ personnel staff. Cunningham comes to Chicago after most recently serving as director of player personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles, a position he was promoted to at the beginning of the 2021 season.
Prior to his promotion, he worked as the assistant director of player personnel (2019-20) and oversaw the college scouting department from 2017-18 as the Director of College Scouting.
Francis St. Paul is in his 11th season in Chicago’s scouting department. He was promoted to senior national scout in 2022.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
