Jim Dooley James William Dooley ( February 8 , 1930 – January 8 , 2008 ) was an American football player and coach . He is best remembered for his tenure in both capacities with the National Football League ' s Chicago Bears . Dooley , who grew up in Miami , Florida , originally wanted to pursue a career in medicine at Vanderbilt University , but attended the nearby University of Miami when head coach Andy Gustafson agreed to have the school pay his way through medical school . With the Hurricanes , he played on both sides of the ball and put together an outstanding career , winning All - America n honors and becoming the first player in school history to have his number retired . Possessing great speed , he capped this era with four interceptions against Clemson University in the Gator Bowl on January 1 , 1952 , then was drafted in the first round by the Bears . In his first year in the NFL , Dooley saw little time on offense , but collected five interceptions . In 1953 , he became an important part of the team ' s passing attack with 53 receptions and four touchdowns , showing a flair for faking out defenders while also popularizing the down - and - out pass . After 34 catches and seven touchdowns the following year , Dooley ' s career took a detour when he missed much of the next two seasons by serving the U . S . Air Force . He joined the team on November 28 , 1956 , and played in their final three games , helping the team reach the NFL Championship game against the New York Giants . Teaming with fellow wideout Harlon Hill , Dooley hauled in 37 passes , but only reached the end zone once during the 1957 NFL season . He then missed the entire 1958 campaign when he was forced to the sidelines with an ankle injury , but returned in 1959 with 41 catches . After following that performance with 36 receptions in 1960 , Dooley made plans to retire , but changed his mind , catching only six passes the following year . After competing during the 1962 preseason , Dooley officially retired , but he was soon added as an assistant coach . Three years as the team ' s wide receivers coach were followed in 1966 by his elevation to the role of the team ' s defensive coordinator . The move followed the departure of George Allen , with Dooley quickly becoming known for his innovative strategies . These included flip - flopping the team ' s defensive tackles during that first year , then using five men in the defensive backfield on third down in 1967 , which became known as " the Dooley Shift " and now is referred to as the nickel defense . In February 1968 , Dooley was returned to the offensive side of the ball , but that status changed just months later when Chicago ' s legendary coach , 73 - year - old George Halas , announced his retirement on May 27 due to arthritis . Dooley was named to replace him the following day . The Bears won half of their games during the 1968 NFL season , but the team collapsed the following year with a 1 – 13 record . The lone win that year came at midseason against the league ' s other 1 – 13 team , the Pittsburgh Steelers . In 1970 , the Bears improved by five games to finish with a 6 – 8 record , and appeared to be on track for major improvement the following year by winning five of their first seven games , including a 23 – 19 victory in week seven over the eventual Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys . However , the second half of the campaign proved to be disaster , with just one win in the final seven contests , including a 34 – 3 humiliation on Monday Night Football against the other Super Bowl participant , the Miami Dolphins . The inevitable result of the collapse came on December 29 , 1971 when Dooley was fired , the first Bears coach ever to suffer that fate . Dooley soon signed as the linebacker coach for the Buffalo Bills , but resigned after just one season . After sitting out the 1973 NFL season , Dooley was named an assistant with the fledgling World Football League ' s Southern California Sun . The job came just one week after he had filed for bankruptcy , citing nearly half a million dollars in debts , including $ 320 , 000 to former Bear player and assistant Sid Luckman . In a parallel of his personal problems , Dooley ' s job ended with the financial problems of the league , at which point he went to work for Luckman at Cellucraft , as a national account sales manager for flexible packaging products , for the next five years . On October 12 , 1981 , he was rehired by the Bears as an offensive consultant , a decision that caused conflict with the team ' s coaching staff , causing them to consider him something of a spy for management . After the conclusion of the season , Dooley and all the other coaches were dismissed , but the team ' s new head coach Mike Ditka , who had played under Dooley two decades earlier , hired him to scout game film of upcoming opponents . Dooley flourished in his new job , aiding the Bears ' s rise and playing a part in their dominating 1985 season that was capped with a 46 – 10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX . In 1997 , he was honored by his alma mater with a spot in the Miami Hurricanes ' Ring of Honor .