Staff reportIn 2008, the Tribune reported that Tennessee reached out to Bears coach Lovie Smith to gauge his interest in becoming the coach at the school where he worked under Phillip Fulmer in 1993 and '94. Smith declined, but now the Volunteers' job is open again with the exit of Lane Kiffin to USC.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opines today that both sides should revisit the option.
"Frankly, it might be in everyone's best interests for Smith to pursue the opportunity, unless he has no interest in leading a college program," Florio writes. "The Bears undoubtedly would have cleaned house at Halas Hall but for the buyout obligations to Smith and G.M. Jerry Angelo. With Smith's ability to stick around for 2011 riding on the performance of quarterback Jay Cutler and mounting uncertainty regarding a work stoppage after next season, heading to Knoxville makes plenty of sense, especially if his compensation from the Volunteers would be enhanced by a partial buyout from the Bears."
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none is good.........
Well I have never heard a group of people talk so bad about there head coach..... Well maybe as of late. I am a UT fan and I bleed orange. You seem to be missing the point in having a headcoach that stays. We would love to have Smith here and yes we are offering a 4 mil a year contract tonight. There is a plane on the way right now. You see once a UT coach always a UT coach. We take care of our coaches even when they have lost the edge. You never know what you have until its gone and I can assure you there are worse people out there possing as coaches.
FLOYD,
Do you really think Lovie can read?
Come on man!
People on this thread seem to forget that Lovie's strongest/worst attribute happens to be stubborness/Bull headedness...If he reads this thread with all of the negative comments...He will not even consider the Tennesee offer...He will stay with the Bears just to try and prove a point.
The House of Halas is sinking in a sea of managerial ineptitude and the Giants just added FEWELL to the fire.
Lovie the Tennessee coaching job is all yours, please take it, pretty please!!!!!!
What makes anybody think Lovie, under a lucrative contract, would want to leave one cess pool for another?
Please, please, please, God. I'll never ask for anything again. I promise.
please leave lovie...PLEASE! this way we can afford to eat up rat face jerry angelo's contract and REALLY clean fucking house, i dont know what hes still doin in chicago, people want both their heads.. i think they r waiting for the death threats to start rollin in... i think they forget that this is chicago and we dont take our football lightly
Could Santa come in January, take the cigar store Indian away and leave us Cowher yet?!?
FACT 2006 superbowl run had nothing to do with Rivera. The bears just had the talent on the field .Stop the pining for Rivera, his defense in San Diego is mediocre at best, they just happen to have a ridiculous offense. Please don't tell me he doesn't have the talent in San Diego because he does. Just let the '85 guys go, all this Rivera love is getting so old. There is a reason he wasn't hired to be a coach after '06 he is not that good. The main problem with the bears, is they blow
the draft every year. Now this year they traded everything away, so they can't even blow it. You can lay the blame for that at the feet of Jerry Angelo. He needs to get fired, before you can hire a new coach, or else it's just going to be the same BS.
I'll pay for Lovie's plane ticket!
Bill Wall
Lovie is 7-5 against the Packers in his 6 years. That is all.
When should I show up to help start packing boxes?
This is not going to happen people! Notice how it says: Staff Report versus someone's actual name. The Tribune is yanking everyone's chain.
ill help him move!! perhaps too good to be true!!
I will pay his moving expenses if he takes it.
Long time Packer's fan here.
Stay, Lovie, please stay.
And JC, apparently you slept through the last 15 years. The Bears are of no consequence in Packerland anymore. We've hated the Vikings much more for at least 15 years.
Long time Packer's fan here.
Stay, please stay, Lovie.
Send Lovie to the airport. We would love to have him in Tennessee!!
Yankee Clipper on January 14, 2010 1:39 PM
ldc1 on January 14, 2010 1:36 PM
I guarantee this idiot is a Sox fan, no other group of people are capable of justifying this kind of stupidity.
Sorry to any Sox fans out there who are not idiots like this guy.
Really doubt that he's a Sox fan Mr. DiMaggio but he is an idiot. His blind faith makes him both a singularly stupid Bears fan and exactly like every Cubs fan for the past 101 years who think coaches and managers in baseball are more valuable than the players.
OMG Lovie use University of Tenn. as a scape goat please take the job!!
This guy has no idea of how stupid he really is.
__________________________________________________
More importantly... do you know how extremely stupid you are?
I never saw Cutler cry morons. I did see Urlacher cry for Orton after Orton missed the playoffs with all- pro WR's, and better offensive line in Denver.
We can sign Kyle Orton for 3rd string QB next year since Denver hates him now!
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause. He is the AD at the U of Tennessee.
I hope he takes this job and gets out of Chicago before he is run out. Smith rode on the coat tails of Ron Rivera in that Super Bowl run because as I remember, Lovie was sticking with his boy Rex at QB and it was Rivera's Defense and Special Teams plays that got them to the Super Bowl. Any judgement call that Smith has made is WRONG. Hester as a WR? WRONG. Hester was a DB when he came into the league with no receiver training! Then we put him as our No. 1 and "develop" players. How's about keeping an aging Urlacher that hasn't done anything in 2-years?
The best part about this whole thing is reading the comments from fans who think whatever the media says is straight out of the bible.
FACT: Rivera's D was solid and not a Tampa 2 D (for those who don't know what that is, it's the defense that has holes all over the field and we get burned on, but Lovie love's. He sounds like Charlie Weis.) He knew when to blitz and the media gave Lovie the credit.
FACT: Urlacher is a great player, but not a champion. Maybe in Pop Warner he was, but not in college and certainly not in the NFL. Trade him, he's not that good.
FACT: Jay Cutler is a cry-baby, but the only thing we got! Make him happy and he will play better...not difficult to see.
FACT: the whole offensive line is ready for their AAP cards, except for Williams who is NOT a right tackle, but LEFT TACKLE. Put him in where he feels comfortable, not hard.
FACT: The team sucks. Fans know it, coaches know it, the league knows it. It starts from the TOP down. FIRE ANGELO. He hasn't done ANYTHING but screw this team up. If McCasky can't see that, or fans can't see that, then you're worse than Rex Grossman!
I hope he takes this job and gets out of Chicago before he is run out. Smith rode on the coat tails of Ron Rivera in that Super Bowl run because as I remember, Lovie was sticking with his boy Rex at QB and it was Rivera's Defense and Special Teams plays that got them to the Super Bowl. Any judgement call that Smith has made is WRONG. Hester as a WR? WRONG. Hester was a DB when he came into the league with no receiver training! Then we put him as our No. 1 and "develop" players. How's about keeping an aging Urlacher that hasn't done anything in 2-years?
The best part about this whole thing is reading the comments from fans who think whatever the media says is straight out of the bible.
FACT: Rivera's D was solid and not a Tampa 2 D (for those who don't know what that is, it's the defense that has holes all over the field and we get burned on, but Lovie love's. He sounds like Charlie Weis.) He knew when to blitz and the media gave Lovie the credit.
FACT: Urlacher is a great player, but not a champion. Maybe in Pop Warner he was, but not in college and certainly not in the NFL. Trade him, he's not that good.
FACT: Jay Cutler is a cry-baby, but the only thing we got! Make him happy and he will play better...not difficult to see.
FACT: the whole offensive line is ready for their AAP cards, except for Williams who is NOT a right tackle, but LEFT TACKLE. Put him in where he feels comfortable, not hard.
FACT: The team sucks. Fans know it, coaches know it, the league knows it. It starts from the TOP down. FIRE ANGELO. He hasn't done ANYTHING but screw this team up. If McCasky can't see that, or fans can't see that, then you're worse than Rex Grossman!
I'll pay for Lovie Dovie's One Way Ticket please take him away!
Yup, that Lovie is terrible.
He's only the third-winningest head coach in the history of the oldest franchise in the NFL. Only the second to lead it to a Super Bowl.
I hope he takes the job, just so he can get away from you idiots. Because I assure you, if Lovie leaves, things will get a whole lot worse before they get better.
The Bears track record of hiring successful coaches is anything but stellar in the Super Bowl era. What makes you think the next person to step it will do better than Lovie?
Do the right thing, Lovie Smith......Go to Tennessee. It is the best thing that could happen for you, for the Bears and, oh yeah, for Bears fans. You'd be a better college head coach anyway.
Do the right thing, Lovie Smith.
Lovie please take the Tennessee job so we can hire a better coach and better coordinators.
Since Tampa had and Tennessee has those pasty orange uniforms, Lovie would feel right in place.
However, he would have a hard time figuring out that the middle linebacker isn't Urlacher, and thus can't go back into the pass coverage.
This would be a dream come true!
Okay...I guess if the Bears lost Lovie to Tennessee, we could all revert back to the dismal 1990s when the Bears seemed to be in a never-ending rebuilding phase. I'll keep Lovie, thank you very much!
Must be a slow news day. If it did happen, we could say Lovie 'can go from here'. I cant believe Mr Staff report printed that with a straight face. The reality is, to my disdain, Lovie is not going anywhere.
Man, what a dream that would be if BEARS could dump LOVIE off on Tennessee. If that only were TRUE! Shame McCaskey's passed on their opportunity to make a play with Shanahan but maybe Cowher, Dungy, Gruden or other powerhouse may be willing to come to Chicago, if the McCaskeys dump Angelo.
Bears fans ... Flood the Tennessee administrative offices with pldeges of a $100 donation to their general fund if they would hire the mummified fossil out of here.
Take the job Lovie!!!! Please!!! We will even help you pack up and move!!! Take the offer. After next NFL season, your stock wil drop even lower because there is no way the Bears will make the playoff or even be .500 with you running the show!
Well, will see about thaaaaaaaaaat. I think lovie's slow southern draw would be great for Knoxville. They wouldn't lose their patients when listening to his post-game bore-a-thon.
A person can dream....This would be a win-win situation for us and Lovie!
that look in Lovie's eyes; same look i've seen others get after a few puffs too.
Sounds sweet, but will never happen.
Harvard Business school needs to study the Bears. Then write a book on "How not to Run a Business".
By not cleaning house this year, the McCaskeys took a mess and just kept on burying it deeper into the ground.
Lovie Smith isn't qualified to coach in the NFL, (or in college either). He should simply quit while he's ahead an apply at a his local McDonalds.
Clearly someone here is upset that Jay Cutler won't sleep with him. Get over it. This is 'coaching' thread, not a complain about Jay thread.
You know if Lovie sees this ridiculous article and does not get upset, all I can say is that Lovie Smith is a strong man.
It must be very distressing that ignorant sportswrites would sit there and tell Lovie Smith via through that yellow journalism articles to, "oh go check out the head coaching job at U. of Tennessee".
Really people, I *&^%& SICK AND d@m tired of people bothering this Head Coach.
Remember Lovie Smith did get the Bears to its first Superbowl in 20 years....20 stinking years.
I believe that Head Coach Smith deserves more respect than this.
For this I say, "Go Lovie Smith for 2010 season! He will make the Bears a winning team again!".
FREEDOM! from the mundane and ignorant! Lovie and UT a perfect fit! Then, Billick or Cowher for new coach.
Could the football gods be shining on us?? This could get interesting unless Long Shanks McKaskey F's it up!
@Joe Felicelli
It would be a negotiated thing between Lovie and the Bears. He says to the Bears "Ok, UT is willing to pay me $4mil per year to coach for them. So if you guys give me $1.5mil per year over the next two years, you save $8mil on the remainder of my contract, and I don't lose any money that I was to make over the rest of my Bears contract."
Why would the Bears do that? Money. If it's a "buy me out or I'll ride out my contract" situation, it's an easy decision.
The real questions are UT and Lovies interest levels.
The report Tennessee might be interested in Lovie Smith could be possible, as Tennessee had a coach (Phil Fulmer) that was '1/2 baked', another '1/2 out the door'(Lane Kiffin), and you add Lovie as a coach that's '1/2 asleep'.
Now you've excited all the ignorant Cubs fans. Lovie makes 5.5 million a year... that's Bob Stoops/Mack Brown/Nick Saban money. Do you think he's going to take a pay cut to take a worse job simply because we don't like him anymore?
So why exactly would the Bears pay a buyout on his contract if he were to leave for the Vols? Sounds like a resignation to me, not a firing.
This would be good for Tennessee as they have spent the last 12 months installing the Tampa 2 in Knoxville with the master, Monte Kiffin. Lovie could continue that work, and his even-handed approach would be good for college kids that need a steady hand to help them develop.
Of course it would be even better for us, and we could lure more coaching candidates when the head job opens up. Not to mention he would take Marinelli with him, as well as Babich....
If Cowher is not interested, apparently Brian Billick has been assembling a prospective staff, and I think he would be a solid choice to help Cutler develop.
PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS WOULD BE BETTER NEWS THAN THE PACK LOSING SUNDAY!
I wish...Could they find jobs for Angeko and Phikkios too?
Take the job....please!!!!!
Maybe there is a God looking down on Lake Forest after all.