BREAKING: Lovie Smith Fired as Chicago Bears Head Coach
The NFL Network is reporting that the Chicago Bears have fired head coach Lovie Smith after 9 seasons with the Chicago Bears.
"We have our first surprising name to be fired on Black Monday. Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smithwas fired Monday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Smith met with upper management this morning. Bears assistants were very nervous, according to Rapoport.Smith had a few things working against him, starting with the reality that he hasn’t made the playoffs for five of the last six years. An even bigger factor: GM Phil Emery was just hired last year. New decision makers usually want to bring in their own head coaches."
It’s a little surprising considering Lovie led the Bears to a 10-6 record but the Bears and Phil Emery had no choice but to make the move after Lovie’s teams failed to make the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.
Lovie’s record in his nine years with the Bears ends up at 81-63, a very respectable .563 winning percentage, but in today’s NFL, you can’t consistently miss the postseason and stay employed. In nine years, Lovie led the Bears to the postseason just three times, amassing a 3-3 record en route to a Super Bowl appearance and an NFC Championship game appearance.
Stay tuned as more official word comes out of Halas Hall. The coaching search is on! Here are a few of my early candidates.
If you had the champagne on ice for a New Year’s Eve celebration, pop the corks a few hours early. Today is a good day for the Chicago Bears and their fans. Post your thoughts on Lovie in the Comments.