Before the Bears opened their minicamp practice Tuesday at the Walter Payton Center, coach Matt Nagy called reporters together along the sideline.

Grinning with excitement, Nagy asked the group for flexibility and understanding as he learns the various team rules governing player access. Nagy sounded enthusiastic enough to end the huddle by saying, “Ready, break!”

This struck quite a contrast with predecessor John Fox’s approach at the exact same point in his Bears tenure three years ago when, before the first minicamp practice, Fox actually warned reporters on hand he would be vague and evasive. That was about the only promise Fox kept in going 14-34 over three painful seasons.

The Nagy era promises to be more transparent, vibrant and full of hope based on the way the Bears coach, who turns 40 next week, conducted day one. The styles of Nagy and Fox don’t compare as much as they contrast and, clearly, the only thing they have in common is that they both parked in the head coach’s spot at 1920 Football Drive.

Nagy, for example, described the three-by-five-inch notecards he uses to stay organized vividly enough to include the Bears logo in the center. He happily revealed rules that require players to tuck their shirts in and keep their helmets off the ground. Defensive tackle Akiem Hicks used the word obsessive to describe Nagy’s attention to detail.

“I wouldn’t say OCD — yet,” Hicks kidded. “But very detailed.’’

Not to mention very open. Nagy again acknowledged turning the entire defense over to veteran coordinator Vic Fangio by telling him: “Take these guys and do your thing.’’ He strongly but respectfully disagreed with a popular offseason narrative that running back Jordan Howard was a bad fit for his offense, calling it “unfair.” He showed no defensiveness explaining the organization’s illogical position on former wide receiver Cameron Meredith, who was allowed to sign an offer sheet with the Saints without compensation. He never hesitated explaining why he used the team’s indoor facility on a chilly spring day, causing some of us to conclude Chicago’s springtime weather is so bad you have to go to football practice to warm up.

“I wanted every little variable out of the equation,’’ said Nagy, who admitted he would have practiced outside if it was the regular season. “I was upfront. I said, ‘This is a little different. We want you guys to focus on nothing but your job.’ ’’

What a difference to have a Bears coach who grasps that part of his job involves speaking to fans through the media. Realize, however, that the Bears did more than hire Mr. Congeniality in Nagy; they improved their football IQ with a coach who understands moving pockets, misdirection and offensive diversity. They weren’t looking to replace Fox with somebody who had the opposite personality. They were trying to catch up with a league that rapidly has passed the organization during the last four seasons of 10 or more losses.

“The goal for today’s practice was to exit the session with confidence,’’ Nagy said during a thorough, thoughtful 17-minute session after practice.

Suffice to say Chicago has every reason to feel confident about Coach NEH-gee.

Words mean nothing without actions and Nagy obviously needs to win to be popular but, boy, what a breath of fresh air at Halas Hall. Fox was combative and never respected the way perception shaped his reality. Marc Trestman was too eccentric to be effective in front of players. Lovie Smith offered more substance than style — a guy who had to leave to be fully appreciated but never enjoyed the public aspect of the job. In the same chair now sits Nagy, smart and sincere, full of energy and without a hint of insecurity detected so far during his football honeymoon.

“I want them to know that we want to win now,’’ Nagy said.

Outside Nagy’s office every morning, he looks at the construction project going on at the facility and likens that to the task at hand for the Bears. A fan of analogies, Nagy shared that one with this team — “Building from the bottom up,’’ he said — talking about pouring concrete to create a foundation that lasts and not just applying spray paint. As Nagy finds his way as a communicator, he occasionally might stumble in his quest to strike rhetorical gold, but what players will come to respect is his willingness to try. So far, their eyes encourage his efforts.

“I can see I’m connecting with them, and they’re connecting with me,’’ Nagy said.

Everything starts with quarterback Mitch Trubisky, whom Nagy pulled aside after the 2½-hour practice that, overall, frankly wasn’t as sharp as it was long. But Trubisky’s grasp of Nagy’s offense made a good impression, and nobody on the field matters more.

“I just told him how amazed I was how he got through this first day," Nagy said.

The days will get longer. The job will get harder. But Nagy relishes both realities with an authenticity that immediately stood out as he ran his first NFL practice as a head coach.

“That was fun,’’ Nagy said when it was over.

Yes, this could be.

dhaugh@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @DavidHaugh

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