The last time the Cubs had to replace a World Series-winning manager? That would be 1912. After Frank Chance led them to championships in 1907 and 1908, his successor, Johnny Evers, was solid in the role but far from legendary.
Fast-forward more than a century, and David Ross has big shoes to fill. The Cubs made four straight playoff appearances in Joe Maddon’s five-year tenure — unprecedented in team history — and, of course, won the 2016 World Series.
Here’s how Chicago coaches and managers fared when taking over for those who led their teams to championships.
Cubs
Johnny Evers (1913, 1921)
Followed: Frank Chance, who led the Cubs to back-to-back World Series titles in 1907 and ’08 as a player/manager.
How he got the job: Following in Chance’s footsteps, Evers functioned as a player/manager in 1913. Evers then assumed a manager-only role in 1921 for 96 games before giving way to Bill Killefer.
Record: 129-120.
How he did: The Cubs finished in third place and missed the playoffs in 1913.
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White Sox
Billy Sullivan (1909)
Followed: Fielder Jones, who led the “Hitless Wonders” to an upset of the Cubs in the 1906 World Series as a player/manager.
How he got the job: Sullivan was a placeholder player/manager before returning to his full-time playing role in 1910.
Record: 78-74.
How he did: The Sox finished fourth in the American League in Sullivan’s only season.
Kid Gleason (1919-23)
Followed: Pants Rowland, who led the Sox to their second World Series title in 1917.
How he got the job: Gleason was promoted to manager after serving as a Sox coach since 1912.
Record: 392-364.
How he did: Gleason guided the Sox to the 1919 World Series — of which a great deal has been written regarding the “Black Sox” scandal and allegations the team intentionally threw the series against the Reds. The best the Sox did in Gleason’s tenure after that was second in the AL in 1920.
Robin Ventura (2012-16)
Followed: Ozzie Guillen, who led the Sox to the 2005 World Series title and went 678-617 in eight seasons.
How he got the job: The Sox effectively traded Guillen to the Marlins in 2011 with one year left on his contract. General manager Ken Williams tapped Ventura, who was working in the team’s front office at the time and never had managed at any level.
Record: 375-435.
How he did: The Sox flirted with the playoffs in his first year before fading down the stretch. It didn’t get better from there. The Sox finished last in the AL Central in Ventura’s second year and fourth the next three seasons. He stepped down after the 2016 season, saying: “I love this place. At the end, it probably needs a new voice.”
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Blackhawks
Clem Loughlin (1934-37)
Followed: Tommy Gorman, who led the Hawks to the 1934 Stanley Cup title and compiled a 28-28-17 record in Chicago in a little more than one season behind the bench.
How he got the job: He was hired after Gorman resigned in 1934.
Record: 61-63-20.
How he did: Loughlin coached the Hawks for three seasons, compiling a 61-63-20 record. They failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs during his tenure.
Paul Thompson (1939-45)
Followed: Bill Stewart, who led the Hawks to the 1938 Stanley Cup championship despite a 14-25-9 record.
How he got the job: Stewart went 8-10-3 to start the 1938-39 season before Thompson replaced him.
Record: 104-127-41.
How he did: After taking over for Stewart, Thompson coached the Hawks for almost six full seasons and reached the 1944 Stanley Cup Final. He lasted just one game into the 1944-45 season before Johnny Gottselig replaced him.
Billy Reay (1963-76)
Followed: Rudy Pilous, who took the Blackhawks to the 1961 Stanley Cup title before leaving after the 1962-63 season.
How he got the job: Reay took over for Pilous in 1963. The reason for Pilous’ departure was unclear, according to a Tribune report.
Record: 516-335-161.
How he did: Reay is the winningest coach in team history and led the Hawks to the Stanley Cup Final three times.
Jeremy Colliton (2018-present)
Followed: Joel Quenneville, who won three championships (2010, 2013 and 2015) and compiled a 452-249-96 record from 2008-18.
How he got the job: The Hawks fired Quenneville 15 games into the 2018-19 season.
Record: 30-28-9.
How he’s doing: The Hawks were in contention for the playoffs late in his first season but ultimately fell short.
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Bulls
Tim Floyd (1999-2001)
Followed: Phil Jackson, who led the Bulls to the only six NBA titles in franchise history and went 545-193 in his nine seasons.
How he got the job: Jackson literally rode off into the sunset on his motorcycle after the Bulls dynasty in the 1990s fell apart before the strike-shortened 1998-99 season. General manager Jerry Krause hired Floyd, with whom he had a close relationship at the time.
Record: 49-190.
How he did: It was a disaster from start to finish. The Bulls went 13-37 in his first season, 17-65 in his second, 15-67 in his third and were a dismal 4-21 to start his fourth when Floyd resigned on Dec. 24, 2001.
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Bears
Ralph Jones (1930-32)
Followed: George Halas, who coached the Chicago Staleys to the 1921 APFA title.
How he got the job: After Halas stepped down for the first time in 1929, he turned to Jones, who at the time was coach at Lake Forest Academy.
Record: 24-10-7.
How he did: After finishing third in Jones’ first two seasons, the Bears broke through in his final season and beat the Portsmouth Spartans for the 1932 NFL championship.
George Halas (1920-29, 1933-42, 1946-55, 1958-67)
Followed: Ralph Jones, who coached the Bears to the 1932 NFL title.
Also followed: Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos, who coached the Bears to the 1943 NFL title during World War II.
Record: 74-22-4 after Jones; 75-42-2 after Anderson and Johnsos.
How he did: What is left to say about “Papa Bear” Halas? The franchise founder went 318-148-31 overall as its coach and won six championships. Not too shabby.
Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos (1942-45)
Followed: George Halas, who coached the Bears to NFL titles in 1933, 1940 and 1941.
How they got the job: Halas served as the third member of a coaching trio in 1942 before ceding to Anderson and Johnsos for the next three seasons.
Record: 23-11-2.
How they did: Anderson and Johnsos led the Bears to the NFL title in 1943 after losing in the championship game in 1942. They finished 3-7 in 1945 before Halas took over again.
Paddy Driscoll (1956-57)
Followed: George Halas, who coached the Bears to the 1946 NFL title.
How he got the job: Driscoll was a longtime Bears assistant coach before Halas handed him the reins after the 1955 season.
Record: 14-9-1.
How he did: The Bears reached the 1956 NFL title game, in which the Giants stomped them 47-7. They went 5-7 the next year before Halas replaced Driscoll.
Jim Dooley (1968-71)
Followed: George Halas, who coached the Bears to the 1963 NFL title.
How he got the job: Dooley took over for Halas after the franchise founder permanently retired as coach.
Record: 20-36.
How he did: The best the Bears did under Dooley was 7-7 in his first season. The worst was 1-13 in his second. He served as a Bears assistant at other points in his career, and Mike Ditka said Dooley had “a tremendous football mind.”
Dave Wannstedt (1993-98)
Followed: Mike Ditka, who coached the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX after the 1985 season.
How he got the job: Wannstedt was a highly sought defensive coordinator with the Cowboys when the Bears hired him to replace Ditka.
Record: 40-56.
How he did: The Bears made just one playoff appearance with Wannstedt on the sideline, in 1994, beating the Vikings before the 49ers blew them out in the divisional round. Their 9-7 record that year was their high-water mark under Wannstedt, which they duplicated in 1995.
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Fire
Dave Sarachan (2002-07)
Followed: Bob Bradley, who led the Fire to the 1998 MLS Cup.
How he got the job: The Fire handed Sarachan the reins after Bradley resigned after the 2002 season.
Record: 55-50-31.
How he did: The Fire came out of the gate strong in Sarachan’s tenure, reaching the MLS Cup before losing to San Jose. They also won two U.S. Open Cups under Sarachan and qualified for the MLS playoffs in three of his four full seasons, though he was fired after the team started 4-6-2 in 2007.
