One of the knocks on former Bears head coach Lovie Smith is that his defensive background doesn’t mesh with the current passing-first landscape of the league.
But Smith has apparently lined up someone who should ease those fears.
According to Jason Cole of the National Football Post, Smith has lined up former California head coach Jeff Tedford as a potential offensive coordinator.
Getting an established quarterback tutor would be the key for Smith anywhere, and Tedford has credentials developing several different styles of quarterback.
His most successful pupil is Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but he also worked with players including Kyle Boller, Akili Smith and David Carr along the way so he’s clearly flexible.
Being able to package a staff is the hardest part for any incoming coach, and Smith having a respected mind such as Tedford should only boost his candidacy, whether in Tampa Bay or elsewhere.