Bears Name Lovie Smith as Head Coach

CBS 2 Chicago ^ | January 14, 2004 | AP

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

LAKE FOREST (AP) After turning around the St. Louis Rams' defense, Lovie Smith is taking on the Chicago Bears.

Smith was hired Wednesday as the Bears new head coach, and he will be introduced at a news conference Thursday, team spokesman Scott Hagel said. Smith was given a four-year deal to replace Dick Jauron, who was fired Dec. 29.

"There's a position right for everyone," Smith said Tuesday when he came to Chicago for his second interview. "And I'm hoping this position is what is right for me."

The Bears focused on Smith and Pittsburgh offensive line coach Russ Grimm after Nick Saban turned them down last weekend. General manager Jerry Angelo also interviewed New England defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel and Jim Mora Jr., who later took the Atlanta job.

Grimm had an impressive playing career, winning three Super Bowls as part of the Washington Redskins' famed "Hogs" line, and he's a finalist for the Hall of Fame this year. But he'd never been a coordinator, and even Grimm admitted he was a little shocked to be contacted by the Bears.

Smith, on the other hand, has had just about every coaching job imaginable. He was the Rams' defensive coordinator for the past three season and spent five years as a position coach at Tampa Bay. He also was a college coach for 13 years.

"I've gone through the proper channels to be a head football coach," Smith said. "To me, this is a normal progress of a coach in the league, and the next step is being a head football coach. I've been successful on all those different stages and am excited about the next step."

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

I was pulling for Russ Grimm. But still, if the guy wins...that's all that counts.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

How many black coaches is that now? Five or six?

[Richard Kimball]

Smith has the credentials and can do a good job for the Bears. The guy knows football.

[Lawgvr1955]

The Bear's gain is my Ram's loss. Are you sure you wouldn't rather have Martz???

[demlosers]

He maybe over-hyped, but Ole Lovie gets his shot with Da Bears.

[NeoCaveman]

5

Lovie Smith, Marvin Lewis, Tony Dungy, Herman Edwards, and Dennis Green.

I hope someday race isn't such a big deal...

I mean really noone complains about how few short white guys there are in the NBA.....

[WinOne4TheGipper]

Six. Mike Mularkey in Buffalo(?). As for hoping race isn't such a big issue, me too.

[NeoCaveman]

Six. Mike Mularkey in Buffalo(?).

Mularkey is black? I did not know that....