Doug Plank is on the score

['TD']

He says he wants a chance to be the DC for the Bears. He's a free agent now that the season is over and loves the Bears and would love to come home.

[Wesson44]

He says he wants a chance to be the DC for the Bears. He's a free agent now that the season is over and loves the Bears and would love to come home.

Hell hire him...could we get worse

[madlithuanian]

That would be nice!

 

He says he wants a chance to be the DC for the Bears. He's a free agent now that the season is over and loves the Bears and would love to come home.

 

[BearFan2000]

Our defense could use a refresher course on laying the wood. He would bring an aggressiveness that is so lacking with our passive D.

 

I don't know much about Plank's qualifications as DC. I like that he wants to come home to coach the Bears and he was a lethal weapon on the field but beyond that I know little about his coaching experience.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Why would Plank be qualified? I believe he was an assistant DB coach or something?

[bowlingtwig]

Why would Plank be qualified? I believe he was an assistant DB coach or something?

He helped coach D Revis and now he is questionably the best shut down CB in the game. He was asked on the score about how he would feel being basically forced to run someones scheme and not his. He said that there can only be 1 boss and he would be willing to run whatever scheme. I have heard him on the SCORE several times and I like what I hear from him and I would be really excited if we hired him. Also who else has even been mentioned as possible DC since we lost out on the Fewell sweepstakes.

['TD']

He helped coach D Revis and now he is questionably the best shut down CB in the game. He was asked on the score about how he would feel being basically forced to run someones scheme and not his. He said that there can only be 1 boss and he would be willing to run whatever scheme. I have heard him on the SCORE several times and I like what I hear from him and I would be really excited if we hired him. Also who else has even been mentioned as possible DC since we lost out on the Fewell sweepstakes.

He also said they ran the cover 2 alot when he was with the Falcons. That they were a winner the year he was there, that the Jets were winners this year, and his enthusiasm/attitude or something, i forget, helps get the players pumped and everywhere he goes they are winners.

[nfoligno]

He was also, I believe, a HC in the arena league for 3 years, all of which I believe his team was successful, and I read he was coach of the year in 2 of those 3 seasons before heading to the NFL. Yes, I realize the Arena league is not the NFL, but at the same time, it does IMHO show an ability to coach. In fact, I might argue that proving yourself as a coach in the arena league may mean more than in college. In college, you are coaching kids who do not get paid and are simply more coachable, while in the arena league, you are coaching men who are getting paid. Not on the same level as the NFL, but I think closer than in college.

 

So 3 successful years as a HC in the Arena league. Assistant w/ Atlanta in a pretty good secondary. Assistant in NY w/ a dominating secondary. Not a horrible resume. Not saying he is the best choice, but I am not sure he is any less qualified than whoever we end up with.

 

He also said they ran the cover 2 alot when he was with the Falcons. That they were a winner the year he was there, that the Jets were winners this year, and his enthusiasm/attitude or something, i forget, helps get the players pumped and everywhere he goes they are winners.

 

[ChileBear]

He was also, I believe, a HC in the arena league for 3 years, all of which I believe his team was successful, and I read he was coach of the year in 2 of those 3 seasons before heading to the NFL. Yes, I realize the Arena league is not the NFL, but at the same time, it does IMHO show an ability to coach. In fact, I might argue that proving yourself as a coach in the arena league may mean more than in college. In college, you are coaching kids who do not get paid and are simply more coachable, while in the arena league, you are coaching men who are getting paid. Not on the same level as the NFL, but I think closer than in college.

 

So 3 successful years as a HC in the Arena league. Assistant w/ Atlanta in a pretty good secondary. Assistant in NY w/ a dominating secondary. Not a horrible resume. Not saying he is the best choice, but I am not sure he is any less qualified than whoever we end up with.

Bring him in! Sounds like he WANTS to be here--and that is a good sign. Hell, us fans would love to have a link with the 46 D as one of our coaches.

[flea]

He was also, I believe, a HC in the arena league for 3 years, all of which I believe his team was successful, and I read he was coach of the year in 2 of those 3 seasons before heading to the NFL. Yes, I realize the Arena league is not the NFL, but at the same time, it does IMHO show an ability to coach. In fact, I might argue that proving yourself as a coach in the arena league may mean more than in college. In college, you are coaching kids who do not get paid and are simply more coachable, while in the arena league, you are coaching men who are getting paid. Not on the same level as the NFL, but I think closer than in college.

 

So 3 successful years as a HC in the Arena league. Assistant w/ Atlanta in a pretty good secondary. Assistant in NY w/ a dominating secondary. Not a horrible resume. Not saying he is the best choice, but I am not sure he is any less qualified than whoever we end up with.

 

 

Georgia Force. I think he won the Arena Bowl, he definitely appeared in it

[chitownman]

The only problem I see with bringing in Plank is that it brings back an important part of the team's past and with the way Smith dismissed Rivera, not sure this is the answer. I believe that Plank would definitely add a spark to the defense that is lacking and would instill what it means to be a Chicago Bear. I just do not trust Smith would be that smart.

[ChileBear]

The only problem I see with bringing in Plank is that it brings back an important part of the team's past and with the way Smith dismissed Rivera, not sure this is the answer. I believe that Plank would definitely add a spark to the defense that is lacking and would instill what it means to be a Chicago Bear. I just do not trust Smith would be that smart.

Maybe they learned--God help us--that forcing out Rivera was a big mistake. Come on Lovie, who else WANTS to be here as DC?

[Connorbear]

Maybe they learned--God help us--that forcing out Rivera was a big mistake. Come on Lovie, who else WANTS to be here as DC?

Let me preface this by saying I loved Plank as a player. Playing devils advocate, you are wanting Plank as DC when he has less coaching experience now than Babich at the time he was promoted? Me thinks the Bears kool-aid is flowing fast on this board. Personally, I think if he wasn't an ex-Bear you would want nothing to do with him.

 

http://www.chicagobears.com/team/coach.asp?coach_id=5

 

Peace

 

 

 

[AZ54]

For those with a good memory you'll recall that many years ago I said I wanted Plank to come in a few years down the road as our DC. That was back when he was in the arena league and he started out right here in Arizona. Back then I liked his attitude and I liked the fact he actually got the Rattlers to play some defense, that's saying something in the arena league. I don't know what it was but when I listened to his interviews I liked his presence and they way he talked about how defense should be played. I figured he needed some seasoning in the NFL before he'd be ready for us but you know what, he's done that and it appears in a successful way. Something about him has the ability to get his guys to play well and that's something I always look for in a coach:

 

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Plank

In 2001, Plank began his coaching career as a defensive coordinator in the Arena Football League for 3 seasons under Danny White. In 2004, Plank was hired by Arthur Blank to be head coach of the Georgia Force, the Arena Football team he owned in addition to the Atlanta Falcons. Plank was named the AFL's Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007 as he led Georgia to the playoffs each year and ArenaBowl XIX in his first year at the helm in 2005. In 2008, he was a seasonal assistant on the Falcons staff. In 2009 he served as the assistant defensive backfield coach for the New York Jets under head coach Rex Ryan, the son of Plank's former defensive coordinator, Buddy Ryan. On January 25, 2009, Rex Ryan announced that Plank's contract would not be extended, effectively ending his tenure with the Jets.[1]

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We're just not in the position to get quality veteran coordinators given Lovie's short leash. I figured we'll have to find either a young up and coming coach and take a chance on him or a veteran who wants to get back in the league. IMO Plank fits the up-and-coming role so he deserves an interview. Besides, his middle name is Walter, that has to bring good karma when it comes to the Bears.

[Bears4Ever_34]

This would be a TREMENDOUS hire. New York was stupid for firing him.

[Mongo3451]

Let me preface this by saying I loved Plank as a player. Playing devils advocate, you are wanting Plank as DC when he has less coaching experience now than Babich at the time he was promoted? Me thinks the Bears kool-aid is flowing fast on this board. Personally, I think if he wasn't an ex-Bear you would want nothing to do with him.

 

http://www.chicagobears.com/team/coach.asp?coach_id=5

 

Peace

The reason he's a former Bear is definately the reason I want him to have a shot. So many former players having coaching success in the league and we don't give them their start. Anyway, he can't be any worse than "trust me" man.

[Connorbear]

Again, playing devil's advocate, anyone who wants Plank as DC should have no issues with Marinelli being the DC or Tice being the OC. They are both more qualified than Plank based on their coaching experience.

 

Peace

[madlithuanian]

Yes. And both would probably expedite Smith's ousting.

 

Again, playing devil's advocate, anyone who wants Plank as DC should have no issues with Marinelli being the DC or Tice being the OC. They are both more qualified than Plank based on their coaching experience.

 

Peace

 

[nfoligno]

I would argue the following:

 

One. Plank is more experienced than Marinelli. While Marinelli had never been higher than a position coach, Plank was a head coach for 3 years. Yes, it was the arena league, but the fact is still that he held a higher level of coaching. I continue to argue there is not that much difference between coaching in another league, like the arena league, and college. Both are different from the NFL, but both can offer signs of what a coach has to offer.

 

Two. Another reason I like Plank is similar to why I liked Rivera, who also came to the Bears w/o having been higher than a NFL position coach. I liked Rivera due to his more broad knowledge on schemes. Similar, Plank has been w/ multiple NFL teams, and again, the arean league, not to mention having plays for one of the top defensive minds in bear history. Contrast that w/ Babich, who basically spent all his coaching time in a cover two scheme. While we do run the cover two, we also need to tweak it (like Indy and others) to have success, and a DC w/ limited experience outside of one systems is handicapped from doing so.

 

Three. While I am not someone who simply thinks any former bear can do it, I would point out that defensive players under Buddy have seemed to do pretty well, as Rivera, Frazier and Singletary have all had success. Maybe those defensive players learned so much of how to run a defense under Buddy that they offer something special today.

 

Let me preface this by saying I loved Plank as a player. Playing devils advocate, you are wanting Plank as DC when he has less coaching experience now than Babich at the time he was promoted? Me thinks the Bears kool-aid is flowing fast on this board. Personally, I think if he wasn't an ex-Bear you would want nothing to do with him.

 

http://www.chicagobears.com/team/coach.asp?coach_id=5

 

Peace

 

[ChileBear]

While I am not someone who simply thinks any former bear can do it, I would point out that defensive players under Buddy have seemed to do pretty well, as Rivera, Frazier and Singletary have all had success. Maybe those defensive players learned so much of how to run a defense under Buddy that they offer something special today.

Agree. At this point, given our recent failings on D, we need to look outside the box. Now, will Lovie and JA do it? I doubt it, but remain Kool Aide hopeful.

[Connorbear]

I would argue the following:

 

One. Plank is more experienced than Marinelli. While Marinelli had never been higher than a position coach, Plank was a head coach for 3 years. Yes, it was the arena league, but the fact is still that he held a higher level of coaching. I continue to argue there is not that much difference between coaching in another league, like the arena league, and college. Both are different from the NFL, but both can offer signs of what a coach has to offer.

 

Two. Another reason I like Plank is similar to why I liked Rivera, who also came to the Bears w/o having been higher than a NFL position coach. I liked Rivera due to his more broad knowledge on schemes. Similar, Plank has been w/ multiple NFL teams, and again, the arean league, not to mention having plays for one of the top defensive minds in bear history. Contrast that w/ Babich, who basically spent all his coaching time in a cover two scheme. While we do run the cover two, we also need to tweak it (like Indy and others) to have success, and a DC w/ limited experience outside of one systems is handicapped from doing so.

 

Three. While I am not someone who simply thinks any former bear can do it, I would point out that defensive players under Buddy have seemed to do pretty well, as Rivera, Frazier and Singletary have all had success. Maybe those defensive players learned so much of how to run a defense under Buddy that they offer something special today.

Marinelli was the Detroit head coach for 3 years and 10 years a position coach at Tampa. That is 13 years experience in the NFL plus he coached in college for 19 years. That's 32 years of coaching experience to Plank's 5.

 

Tice was Minnesota head coach for 4 years and has been a position coach in the NFL for 10 years. That is 14 years coaching experience to Plank's 5.

 

You can argue that Plank may be a better coach for other reasons, but there is no way you can say he has more coaching experience than Marinelli or Tice.

 

Peace

[nfoligno]

Actually, my bad on saying Marinelli. I meant Babich. He had been only a position coach, and then Lovie elevated him to DC.

 

No argument Marinelli has loads more coaching experience than Plank, but (a) Marinelli has said he doesn't want the job. Even if we convince him to take it, do we really want a guy in a positon he didn't want and ( as said, one of the top things I like about Plank is a more broad base of defensive knowledge. You talk about Marinelli's many years of coaching, and there is no disputing that. At the same time, I think most of his experience comes in the form of cover two. I have argued many times that having a coach experienced in the cover two is not a problem for me, but the problem comes up when that coach is only experienced in the cover two. When that scheme isn't working, such a coach simply lacks the knowledge to change or correct it.

 

That was a big reason I liked Rivera years ago, before we hired him. Coming to the bears, he was experienced in several different scheme, including time as a player in the 46. Further, he would learn the cover two under Lovie, and thus further broaden his knowledge. I see such a situation as very much a positive. Contrast that w/ someone like Babich. Babich, as Rivera, lacked experience above that of a position coach, but unlike Rivera, Babich's entire coaching career was in cover two schemes. Its all he knew. If there were breakdowns in that scheme, he would not have as much knowledge to use to make changes.

 

That is sort of how I see it w/ Plank. Plank has a greater base of knowledge. Is he an unknown. Sure. But I am simply more willing to take a change w/ someone like him.

 

Not really sure how Tice even factors into this, as I thought we were talking defense and DC. On offense, I have been of the opinion that we need a more experienced guy as he will basically be a HC#2. That was a key reason I never liked Bates, for example. Frankly, Tice doesn't even fit the category of what I want as, that I know of, he has never been a signal caller himself, moving directly from position coach to HC. That's why I liked coaches such as Chud and Al Saunders, among others.

 

Marinelli was the Detroit head coach for 3 years and 10 years a position coach at Tampa. That is 13 years experience in the NFL plus he coached in college for 19 years. That's 32 years of coaching experience to Plank's 5.

 

Tice was Minnesota head coach for 4 years and has been a position coach in the NFL for 10 years. That is 14 years coaching experience to Plank's 5.

 

You can argue that Plank may be a better coach for other reasons, but there is no way you can say he has more coaching experience than Marinelli or Tice.

 

Peace

 

[Connorbear]

Actually, my bad on saying Marinelli. I meant Babich. He had been only a position coach, and then Lovie elevated him to DC.

 

No argument Marinelli has loads more coaching experience than Plank, but (a) Marinelli has said he doesn't want the job. Even if we convince him to take it, do we really want a guy in a positon he didn't want and ( as said, one of the top things I like about Plank is a more broad base of defensive knowledge. You talk about Marinelli's many years of coaching, and there is no disputing that. At the same time, I think most of his experience comes in the form of cover two. I have argued many times that having a coach experienced in the cover two is not a problem for me, but the problem comes up when that coach is only experienced in the cover two. When that scheme isn't working, such a coach simply lacks the knowledge to change or correct it.

 

That was a big reason I liked Rivera years ago, before we hired him. Coming to the bears, he was experienced in several different scheme, including time as a player in the 46. Further, he would learn the cover two under Lovie, and thus further broaden his knowledge. I see such a situation as very much a positive. Contrast that w/ someone like Babich. Babich, as Rivera, lacked experience above that of a position coach, but unlike Rivera, Babich's entire coaching career was in cover two schemes. Its all he knew. If there were breakdowns in that scheme, he would not have as much knowledge to use to make changes.

 

That is sort of how I see it w/ Plank. Plank has a greater base of knowledge. Is he an unknown. Sure. But I am simply more willing to take a change w/ someone like him.

 

Not really sure how Tice even factors into this, as I thought we were talking defense and DC. On offense, I have been of the opinion that we need a more experienced guy as he will basically be a HC#2. That was a key reason I never liked Bates, for example. Frankly, Tice doesn't even fit the category of what I want as, that I know of, he has never been a signal caller himself, moving directly from position coach to HC. That's why I liked coaches such as Chud and Al Saunders, among others.

Babich was the head coach at North Dakota State from 1997-2002 so he does have more experience than Plank.

 

I mentioned Tice because I had argued in another post that anyone wanting Plank as DC should have no issues with Marinelli as DC or Tice as OC.

 

Peace

 

 

['TD']

Babich was the head coach at North Dakota State from 1997-2002 so he does have more experience than Plank.

 

I mentioned Tice because I had argued in another post that anyone wanting Plank as DC should have no issues with Marinelli as DC or Tice as OC.

 

Peace

 

To me, there is a differnce in mentioning Tice and Marinelli in respect to Plank/(insert random inexperienced play caller's name here).

 

The defense, I don't think an experienced DC is as necissary. Who ever will be placed in this system will be tied and bound to the system Lovie runs. Personally I just want a good motivator on defense that will have his players prepared that comes in with experience in other defenses. Marinelli would be ideal for the DC imo, if not for the fact he is from this system. Both Lovie and Bablich had this D as their background and failed miserabley when they took over the D.

 

OC is different. They are going to have a system ready, be ready to install that system, and answer basically to only themselves on offense. There's a lot more responsibility and this team doesn't need someone trying it for the first time.

 

The main reason I wouldn't want to see Tice and Marinelli promoted is pretty simple. It has potential to hurt the team more then it could help. Tice and Marinelli are arguably the two best position coaches on this team. Why take away strenghts of the staff, put them in a position them where they will be a question mark, and replace them with inferior position coaches?

[madlithuanian]

Good points TD...

 

To me, there is a differnce in mentioning Tice and Marinelli in respect to Plank/(insert random inexperienced play caller's name here).

 

The defense, I don't think an experienced DC is as necissary. Who ever will be placed in this system will be tied and bound to the system Lovie runs. Personally I just want a good motivator on defense that will have his players prepared that comes in with experience in other defenses. Marinelli would be ideal for the DC imo, if not for the fact he is from this system. Both Lovie and Bablich had this D as their background and failed miserabley when they took over the D.

 

OC is different. They are going to have a system ready, be ready to install that system, and answer basically to only themselves on offense. There's a lot more responsibility and this team doesn't need someone trying it for the first time.

 

The main reason I wouldn't want to see Tice and Marinelli promoted is pretty simple. It has potential to hurt the team more then it could help. Tice and Marinelli are arguably the two best position coaches on this team. Why take away strenghts of the staff, put them in a position them where they will be a question mark, and replace them with inferior position coaches?