APOne of the coaches not on the Bears’ ever-expanding list of head coaching candidates is their current defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.
According to a report by Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune, that doesn’t mean Marinelli is without a future in Chicago. Pompei reports that Marinelli and other assistants from Lovie Smith’s final staff are still under contract and that there’s “a good chance” that the coordinator remains on the job.
As General Manager Phil Emery made clear at the press conference announcing Smith’s ouster that defense has not been the problem in Chicago, a point he’s underlined by compiling a list of candidates that skews heavily to the offensive side of the ball. With a good defense in place, it’s not hard to see an offensive-minded coach choosing to leave things as they are on that side of the ball for the time being while they concentrate on ways to put more points on the board. Pompei also points out Marinelli’s head-coaching experience could be of value to a first-time head coach, should the Bears wind up going in that direction, but also writes that no one would likely stand in the way of wholesale changes to the staff.
Quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, who has a long relationship with quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall, is also mentioned as an assistant who could remain with the team under a new head coach.
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Can we just get a offensive minded HC that can get the play in on time instead of having to waste a timeout within the first 5 minutes of the game.
Good, other than the 9ers game and the last 7 minutes of the Seahawks game the D did their jobs
makes complete sense, i’m all for it
Shouldn’t a HC get to pick his own DC? Why not keep Lovie and bring in an actual OC? Still suck.
Good Move! That should keep the vets happy!
The problem with the last 7 min of the SEA game cost them the season. If they don’t give up that 97 yd drive in 3 min plus, incl a 4th down conversion, the Bears are in playoffs, prob would have beaten Minn the next week, SEA isn’t necessarily the hot team, and Lovie prob doesn’t get fired.
Please keep Marinellli and Toub. Make any transition much more smooth
Hoke has been great too
@opietaylor, if the O scored more than 17 points in the 4 quarters if play there wouldn’t have been a need for OT. That game cost them but but both sides of the ball take blame….
Marinelli lost any chance of being a HC when, as an HC, he coached an 0-16 Lions team.
Keeping Marinelli would be smart. The defense, for the most part,wasn’t the problem. Plus that is the side of the ball that is aging. I also am not sure if their best players on that side of the ball would fit in another system. It would make more sense to slowly rebuild that side while keeping the current system.
Naw!! please let the NEW head coach pick his OWN staff and run
his own offensive & defensive system. hopefully he wont be one
of these OLD coaches with an OLD system. I want Greg Roman or Pete Carmichael Jr.
You gotta keep Marinelli after leading the league in takeaways…Toub should stay as ST coach if they don’t make him HC (don’t see that happening, even though he’s listed as a candidate)…And since Cutler-to-Marshall worked so well (maybe too well, since everyone else kept dropping TDs), you probably keep Bates.
0-16. All that needs to be said.