LAKE FOREST, Ill. — John Fox is no stranger to the challenges of coaching in the NFL.

So when Fox stepped to the lectern Monday as the 15th coach in the storied history of the Chicago Bears, he knew the difficulty of the task in front of him.

“It’s like holding Jell-o,” Fox said with a smile. “It’s a tough job.”

In that regard, a big pile of Jell-o awaits Fox on the shores of Lake Michigan.

The Bears introduced Fox three days after hiring him to replace Marc Trestman, who went 13-19 in two seasons and stumbled to a last-place finish in the NFC North in 2014. Chicago lost eight of its final 10 games and missed the playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons, prompting sweeping changes in the front office and coaching staff.

New general manager Ryan Pace marveled at his good fortune in his first coaching search. Four days after the Bears hired the 37-year-old player personnel director from the New Orleans Saints, Fox became a free agent.

“When he became available, honestly, the game changed,” Pace said.

Fox joined the Bears less than a week after mutually agreeing to part ways with the Denver Broncos, where he won four division titles in four seasons but ultimately disagreed with general manager John Elway about the team’s plans going forward.

Fox declined to delve into specifics about his departure from the Broncos.

“It was a great four-year run,” said Fox, who posted a 46-18 record in the regular season but went 3-4 in the playoffs. “We hugged and moved on. It happens in football.”

Rebuilding projects also happen, and now Fox is a part of one. He said he immediately would begin the process of building a coaching staff and assessing the Bears’ roster.

In Carolina, Fox turned a 1-15 team into a Super Bowl participant in a two-season span. He said he would tackle the Bears’ challenges with a similar coaching style.

“I’m brutally honest,” Fox said. “Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn’t. But I’m not afraid or intimidated to tell people the truth.”

The truth is that the Bears need a lot of help.

Chicago’s questions begin at quarterback, where Jay Cutler flashes a big arm and little consistency. Cutler led the NFL with 24 turnovers in 2014 – his ninth season – and was benched in Week 16 for pedestrian backup Jimmy Clausen.

Now, Fox and the Bears must decide what to do with the mercurial quarterback who will turn 32 in April. The team could save millions after the initial cap hit from releasing or trading Cutler before March 12, but no guarantee exists that the Bears would find a better option at quarterback in free agency or the draft.

What kind of quarterback does Fox prefer?

“One that wins,” he said.

Recent history indicates that Fox might get his way. He reached the Super Bowl with Jake Delhomme, won a playoff game with Tim Tebow and produced top-five offenses in each of the past three seasons with Peyton Manning.

Fox said he wanted to get to know Cutler – and all of the players on the roster – before making any decisions about next season.

“I know everybody makes a big deal about the quarterback, and I get that,” Fox said. “But it’s still a team game. We all have to do it for our teammates, for something bigger than ourselves.”

Fox also must find a way to repair a broken Bears defense that finished No. 30 in the league in 2014. Veteran linebacker Lance Briggs and cornerback Charles Tillman have expiring contracts and are not expected to return, and glaring needs exist for pass rushers and safeties.

“It’s people,” Fox said. “It’s finding the right kind of people. We look for smart, tough people that are going to condition themselves to be the best they can be. Football is a combative, physical game. It takes combative, physical people.”

Fox has high hopes that he can find the right people to turn around the Bears. Next season will mark the franchise’s 30th anniversary of its last Super Bowl championship.

“I can’t make any promises other than I’m going to give you everything I’ve got,” Fox said. “That trophy looks kind of lonely out there in the hallway.”

Nearby, Bears chairman George McCaskey felt an immediate connection with the new coach.

“That was one of those, ‘You had me at hello’ (moments),” McCaskey said with a smile. “When I conduct tours of Halas Hall and we get to the Super Bowl trophy, I say exactly the same thing. ‘She’s lonely, and she needs some company.’ “

NOTES: The Bears hired Jeff Rodgers as special teams coordinator. Rodgers spent the past four seasons in the same role with the Denver Broncos, where he worked under John Fox. Rodgers also spent two seasons alongside Fox with the Carolina Panthers. … The Bears hired Josh Lucas as director of player personnel. Lucas spent the past 10 seasons in the New Orleans Saints’ personnel department, including the past eight years as a scout in the southern and southwest regions.