N F L Football coaching changes 2007

[-Jrabbit]

He's certainly the heirapparent if Turner bollocks it up -- and if he can get along with AJ Smith. My guess is, Turner has 2 years to reach the promised land. (Of course, Rivera could easily be gone after one.)

[-Jrabbit]

Lovie Smith's agent has gone public...

The agent for Lovie Smith said the coach's contract negotiations are at a stalemate, and the coach expects to return for the 2007 season without a new contract.

"We're not close, we're not encouraged and based on where talks have gone recently, Lovie will be a free agent after next season," agent Frank Bauer told ESPN Wednesday. The Bears may think they have leverage with one year left on his deal, but they will look ridiculous if Smith is the lowest paid coach in the league again. If the Bears think Smith is expensive now, just wait until next year. "It would take an unforseen breakthrough for this to get done," Bauer said.

Feb. 21 - 9:49 pm et
Source: ESPN.com

This is just early posturing, but well worth noting. the fan base will go into revolt if they don't get this done.

[Imran Siddiqui]

[q=Frank Bauer]they will look ridiculous if Smith is the lowest paid coach in the league again[/q]

Yep. In fact they already do. I mean it isn't like the Bears are hurting for money is it? Lovie Smith should have been given a lucrative extention after the SuperBowl.

Yes, I understand the Bears have been burned with giving a hot young coach an expensive extention after a great year, but Smith has done it two years in a row and aside from an unhealthy fixation on Grossman has made all the right moves.

[-Jrabbit]

The Bears have signed Lovie Smith to a 4-year contract.
GM Jerry Angelo also got an extension.

We'll get some details tonight, the rest at a press conference tomorrow.

FWIW, Lovie and his agent were looking for $5MM/yr.

[rah]

Happy for Lovie, but I always find it disturbing when the gm gets an extension for a year longer. So let's say the bears tank near the end of Lovie's contract. Jerry is going to pick the next head coach during the final year of his contract which will tie the hands of the next GM.
For some reason this type of move seems silly to me.
He has committed the bears for the length of Lovie's contract and his own should be equally committed.

[Lord Avalon]

Parcells joins ESPN as studio analyst. IIRC Michael Irvin was cut from Monday Night Countdown, so they had an opening.