Bears fire Lovie Smith

[Lee Borgersen]

NFL
                  .............FOX Sports Exclusive

                 Bears decide to fire Lovie Smith
 
A 10-6 season wasn't enough for Lovie Smith to keep his job with the Bears.
Updated Dec 31, 2012 1:53 PM ET
     
 
After nine seasons, the Chicago Bears have parted ways with head coach Lovie Smith.



As first reported by NFL Network, Smith was fired Monday morning by general manager Phil Emery.
The Bears scheduled a news conference Tuesday to discuss the move.

Despite posting a 10-6 record, the Bears failed to reach the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons when eliminated Sunday after the Minnesota Vikings clinched a wild-card berth by defeating Green Bay. Smith led Chicago into the 2010 NFC Championship game and an appearance in Super Bowl XLI during the 2006 season. The Bears lost both contests.

Smith, 54, was 84-66 overall during his time in Chicago. His record ranks third on the Bears' all-time list, behind George Halas and Mike Ditka.

Smith, though, wasn't hired by Emery, who became the team's general manager last year after the firing of Jerry Angelo.



While Angelo took the fall after last season, Smith was not without blame in the personnel issues over the years. He pushed to bring in former Rams offensive lineman Orlando Pace and safety Adam Archuleta, players who succeeded in St. Louis when Smith was the defensive coordinator there but were busts with the Bears.
He had no bigger supporter than team matriarch Virginia McCaskey, but the fans seemed split on him. To some, he was a picture of calm, a coach who never lost his composure and never criticized his players in public, the anti-Ditka if you will.

History suggests fans who are clamoring for a high-profile replacement such as Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden might be disappointed. The last time the Bears went with an experienced NFL head coach was when Halas returned to the sideline in 1958.

They might, however, go with an offensive-minded coach for the first time since Mike Ditka was fired after the 1992 season, given the issues in that area.



While the Bears fielded some of the NFL's best defensive and special teams units during his tenure, Chicago's offense struggled through most of the past nine seasons. The Bears ranked 24th in total yardage this season.
Smith joined the Bears following a three-year stint as defensive coordinator in St. Louis.

FOXSports.com NFL insider Jay Glazer reported that the Bears already have requested to interview Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy to replace Smith. A finalist for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job last season, the 40-year-old McCoy is a hot commodity for his work in recent seasons with quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton.

[weldgasman]

are you kidding. Cutler is the problems. I do not care if he plays hurt or not, he is the biggest baby in the NFL, no wait second biggest right behind the Vikings wide reciever Simpson.

Off topic Cutler should have went not Smith.