Bears hire 49ers’ Hightower as special teams coordinator

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have hired Richard Hightower as special teams coordinator under new coach Matt Eberflus. Hightower spent the past five seasons as San Francisco’s special teams coordinator and has 15 years of NFL coaching experience. He replaces Chris Tabor in Chicago, where Hightower was assistant special teams coach on John Fox’s staff in 2016. Special teams played a big role in San Francisco’s NFC championship game run this season. The 49ers blocked a punt and returned it for a tying touchdown in the fourth quarter of their divisional round game at Green Bay, and former Bear Robbie Gould kicked the winning field goal. The Bears now have all three coordinators in place, with Hightower joining offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and defensive coordinator Alan Williams.