PFT on Smith's taking over of the D...

[madlithuanian]

LOVIE TAKES OVER THE BEARS’ DEFENSE

Posted by Mike Florio on January 14, 2009, 11:45 a.m.

When former Lions coach Rod Marinelli was sniffing around Halas Hall a couple of weeks ago, some folks thought that Bears defensive coordinator Bob Babich might be in trouble.

 

In the end, Marinelli signed on to coach the defensive line, and Babich kept his job.

 

But Babich is losing his juice. On Tuesday, coach Lovie Smith said that he’ll take over the team’s play-calling duties.

 

“There are a lot of offensive coaches in the league that call plays and do a little bit more on their side of the ball where their expertise is,” Smith said, via the Chicago Tribune. “For some reason, a lot of defensive coaches haven’t done it. But I think it’s time to change some of that.”

 

It’s a demotion for Babich, who’ll now focus on coaching the linebackers.

 

And, in a roundabout way, it’s an increase in the responsibilities of offensive coordinator Ron Turner, since Lovie will be devoting more time and attention to the defensive side of the ball.

 

“I’m excited about taking a more hands-on approach to helping our defense get back to where it [was],” Smith said.

 

We like his attitude, since this typically is the kind of move that a guy makes when he starts feeling the flames of a firing flickering against his fanny.

 

Remember Ravens coach Brian Billick in 2006? He fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel at the bye week and assumed full control of the offense, presumably because Billick feared that a bad season would be his last one. (As it turned out, Billick turned things around for 2006. But he was fired after a dramatic backslide the following season.)

 

So Lovie Smith fairly can be included on the early list of coaches who might not get the chance to continue in their jobs in 2010, absent a significant improvement in 2009.

[Lucky Luciano]

“There are a lot of offensive coaches in the league that call plays and do a little bit more on their side of the ball where their expertise is,” Smith said, via the Chicago Tribune. “For some reason, a lot of defensive coaches haven’t done it. But I think it’s time to change some of that.”

 

maybe i'm wrong but wasn't it reported that lovie was bumping heads with rivera before he was fired?

 

i also think it was "time to change some of that" last season when our defense was failing and was a big part in why we missed the playoffs by one game.

[madlithuanian]

I think you're right, but I have no evidence... Just recollection.

 

Agreed. It seems like we're always a day late and a dollar short...

 

maybe i'm wrong but wasn't it reported that lovie was bumping heads with rivera before he was fired?

 

i also think it was "time to change some of that" last season when our defense was failing and was a big part in why we missed the playoffs by one game.

[Pixote]

And, in a roundabout way, it’s an increase in the responsibilities of offensive coordinator Ron Turner, since Lovie will be devoting more time and attention to the defensive side of the ball.

 

I do not think it will change responsibilities for Turner at all, this is the only part of the article which I personally think is stupid. The rest makes sense, but certainly isn't any more than we all knew.

[madlithuanian]

I agree!

 

I do not think it will change responsibilities for Turner at all, this is the only part of the article which I personally think is stupid. The rest makes sense, but certainly isn't any more than we all knew.