By Dan PompeiThe Bears continued their quest for an improved offense today by interviewing former Vikings coach Mike Tice at Halas Hall, a league source said.
In order to speak with Tice, the Bears had to get permission from the Jaguars, as Tice is the assistant head coach in charge of tight ends in Jacksonville.
Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver announced that head coach Jack Del Rio would return for the 2010 season, but the team is considering making significant changes.
It is possible the Bears could hire Tice in a capacity other than offensive coordinator.
The Bears also finished up their two-day interview with Bengals quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese.
Photo: Mike Tice coached the Vikings from 2002-05. (Tribune file)
Register with Chicago Tribune and receive Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks newsletters for free. 
When sports news breaks, be the first to know. (To get alerts on a mobile device, text CHISPORTS to 31286.). 
Get our updates on 
Tripple D the Bears don't have all summer to keep people guessing. They need their coordinators pre combine. So begining of febuary at the latest. You kinda want their insight on who is going to play for them. Mini Camps begin in late April and early May, you need them then as well.
MidwayIllustrated, you just compared Lovie to Parcells??? Your comparing coaching trees. He won two Super Bowls and has a history of turning around franchises. He's called the Genius not just because of his coaching, but because he totally restructures organizations from scouting on up.
His Coaching tree includes Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, and Tom Coughlin. Lovie actually doesn't have a tree sense nobody he brought in has become a head coach. Lovie is from the Marty Schottenheimer tree, who was the Coach that Dungy mentored with.
Tice is from the Dennis green tree, which is part of the largest most watered down tree in the league. The Bill Walsh tree. If your going to take from that coaching tree you should start at the top not the bottom. Jim Fassel is available and would be a great coordinator. I don't think he was a great head coach but he is a very good coordinator. The Bears are looking at anyone from the WCO tree, except for Zam. Bill Cowher is also part of the Schottenheimer tree, but is directly from it rather than being a second generation coach on the wrong side of the Ball. Lovie is really a Dungy guy who is really a Chuck Noll guy, but still part of that tree.
We have recieved word that the Chicago Bears will be changing the name of the team to the Chicago "McCaskey's"
The uniforms will be green and black with dollar signs imprinted all over the jerseys, Gold pants plated with imitation gold bullion and the helmets will feature the new official team logo....."Pinnochio" on one side of the helmet and "Gapetto" on the other side. The official fight song will also be changed to "I'm Your Puppet" by: Andy Williams.
The same guy that twice missed his draft time and let the next team draft ahead of him.
====================
That's true, but he got pro bowler Kevin Williams and pro bowler Bryant McKinnie with those two picks. So, I think he did okay with his talent evaluation.
Wow the list just get worse each day. Really this D-bag who gets caught scalping Super Bowl tickets. Our team is going to be terrible.
Just wanted to point to something that is very similar to what the Bears are doing on their search, only it involves super football genius Bill Parcells and the Miami Dolphins.
Keith Butler who has been with the Steelers for a number of years but has never been a DC in the NFL is being interviewed by the Dolphins for their open vacancy on their defensive staff....aka the defensive coordinator.
A football guy (Bill Parcells) has hired a trusted confidant to be the coach of the Dolphins (because they have ties together from a previous team) and now that coach is interviewing an up and coming position coach to possibly be the next DC for the Dolphins.
Oh and Mike Tomlin worked with Butler in college coaching together at Memphis.
What is the relevance to the Chicago Bears?
Simple what the Bears are doing now is pretty standard practice throughout the NFL, all the way down the line. Parcells hired someone Sparano to coach the Dolphins because Sporano was Parcell's O-Line coach in Dallas.
Since it's Bill Parcells and he's considered such a genius football man I figured I'd share the scenario that they have going on in Miami which is nearly identical to the situation we have here in Chicago.....buddies hiring buddies, the good old boy coaches network, working in full effect and the Dolphins potentially hiring a guy who has no DC experience.
The leadership of the Bears is mediocre. Therefore their choices will be mediocre. How can one expect anything else? Just look at their record of past decisions on coaches and talent.
Hey at least the Bears are not pulling the trigger on just anyone. Stop being so Negative give them a chance the playoffs are still going on they have all summer to keep people guessing. So take it easy some of you guys. Dont expect any one huge you know the Bears dont really like to spend money. so we will see. They are making moves and it looks like there trying to do something better then what they have been doing. Im sure there gonna get someone that will do better then what Ron T did.
After the Babich fiasco, the Bear's 'braintrust' need to make sure Lovie is as far removed from this process as possible. Lovie is not good at evaluating talent, coaches or players.
Now I know what the Bears mean by the 4th phase. Hey what the hell...why not interview Don Coryell!! This is beyond funny its sad but deserving for the 3 Stooges-Teddy,Jerry and Lovie
Yikes, Bears what to add Mike Tice. Just when I thought this list of candidates couldn't get worse after hearing Bears might have interest in Jim Zorn over the weekend.
OMG! Are you kidding me? This isn't even 4th through 8th best of candidates. Give me a break!
32-33 with the Vikings. His mediocrity should fit right in.
The same guy that twice missed his draft time and let the next team draft ahead of him
No one is coming here it is a lame duck situation
Please not this meathead...Please!