Mr. Smith goes to Chicago

Bears fill coaching vacancy with Rams defensive coordinator

By Don Banks, SI.com

The Chicago Bears are the latest NFL team to fill their vacant head coaching position, agreeing to terms on a four-year contract worth $5.4 million with St. Louis defensive coordinator Lovie Smith on Wednesday, a league source said.

The Bears are the sixth out of seven NFL teams to hire a new head coach, and Smith's addition raises the league's contingent of black head coaches to a record high of five. Only Oakland remains without a head coach.

Smith's deal will average $1.35 million per season, roughly the going rate for a first-time NFL head coach. Smith beat out one other finalist -- Pittsburgh offensive line coach Russ Grimm -- for the job. Smith interviewed twice with the Bears, with one meeting taking place two weeks ago during the Rams' first-round bye in the post-season, and again on Tuesday.

In getting his first opportunity as an NFL head coach, Smith replaces fifth-year coach Dick Jauron, who was fired by the Bears on Dec. 29, the day after Chicago finished its season 7-9. The Bears went 35-46 under Jauron, making the playoffs only once in five seasons.

Smith, 45, has served as the Rams defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, after five years as Tampa Bay's linebackers coach under head coach Tony Dungy.

"I know I'm right for this job,'' Smith said Wednesday. "It's an opportunity I've been waiting for and have prepared for many years.''

While Bears general manager Jerry Angelo had said the team might lean toward hiring an offensive-minded head coach, given the importance of developing second-year quarterback Rex Grossman, many of coaches who were interviewed by Chicago had defensive backgrounds, as Jauron did.

Angelo met with Smith, Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, 49ers defensive coordinator Jim Mora Jr. (who was hired by Atlanta as head coach), LSU head coach Nick Saban, and current Bears defensive coordinator Greg Blache. Interviews were canceled with Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and ex-Giants head coach Jim Fassel.

Considered one of the bright, young defensive coordinators in the league, Smith's name first rose on head coaching candidate lists in 2001, when in his first season in St. Louis his revamped Rams defense helped lead the team to the Super Bowl. The Rams lost that game to New England, and Smith's name cooled somewhat when his defense struggled in 2002.

But Smith's candidacy was revived this season, as the Rams went 12-4 and won the NFC West, with Smith's defense leading the NFL in takeaways. St. Louis, however, gave up 29 points and 476 yards of offense in Saturday's double overtime loss to visiting Carolina, knocking the No. 2 seeded Rams from the playoffs in the divisional round.

Smith also interviewed for the head coaching jobs in Atlanta and Buffalo in recent weeks, and he emerged as the Falcons' frontrunner shortly after Atlanta and Dan Reeves parted ways in mid-December.