FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, January 18, 2013 BEARS REACH AGREEMENT WITH SKIP PEETE LAKE FOREST, IL – The Chicago Bears reached an agreement with Skip Peete to be the team’s running backs coach. Peete has spent the last 15 seasons as an NFL running backs coach including the previous six (2007-12) with the Dallas Cowboys. During his tenure in Dallas, the Cowboys rushing attack set a franchise single-season record in 2009 with a 4.8 yards per carry average (2,103 yards on 436 attempts), which ranked second in the NFL that season. Dallas’ 131.4 rushing yards per game was seventh in the league in 2009. His 2011 squad finished with the ninth- highest rushing average in franchise history at 4.4 yards per attempt (1,807 yards on 408 carries). In 2009, under Peete’s guidance, Felix Jones established a single-season franchise mark averaging 5.9 yards per carry (685 yards on 116 attempts). His rushing average led the league in 2009 and is 10th highest in NFL single-season annals among running backs since the 1970 merger. DeMarco Murray’s 5.5 rushing average (897 yards on 164 attempts) in 2011 was third-highest in single-season franchise history and was third-highest in the NFL that season (second among running backs). It is the seventh highest rushing average by a rookie since 1970 and fifth highest during that time among rookie running backs. In his first season with the club in 2007, Peete helped Marion Barber to his first career Pro Bowl nod as Barber rushed for a career-high 975 rushing yards to go along with 10 touchdowns. Prior to his time in Dallas, Peete spent nine seasons (1998-2006) overseeing the Raiders running backs. During that time, Peete directed Tyrone Wheatley (1,046 in 2000) and LaMont Jordan (1,025 in 2005) to career highs in rushing yards. The 1,000-yard rushing seasons are two of just 14 such occurrences in franchise history and rank 10th and 11th, respectively in Raiders annals. Oakland led the league in rushing in 2000 averaging 154.4 yards per game, ninth best in franchise history. During the Raiders 2002 AFC Championship season, Charlie Garner had 941 receiving yards on 91 receptions, fourth and fifth most all-time in NFL single-season history among running backs. Before coming to the NFL, Peete spent 10 years (1988-1997) in the collegiate coaching ranks. He began his career at the University of Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant in 1988 before coaching the wide receivers for two seasons. He was the Panthers running backs coach for his final two seasons at Pittsburgh, coaching future NFL rusher Curtis Martin. Peete went on two coach the wide receivers at Michigan State (1993-94) and Rutgers (1995) before coaching the running backs at UCLA for two seasons (1996-97). Collegiately, Peete played two seasons at Arizona (1981-82) before transferring to Kansas. During his time at Kansas, Peete was an All-Big Eight wide receiver (1985) and was voted team captain in his senior year of 1986. He played wide receiver and special teams for one season in the NFL with the New York Jets. His father, Willie, is a longtime collegiate and NFL coach, including working with the Bears running backs from 1995-97 and as one of Chicago’s pro scouts in 1998. His brother, Rodney, is a former NFL quarterback, who played 16 seasons. A Phoenix native, Peete and his wife, Rebeca, have twins, son Reeco and daughter Gisele. .