I'm trying to logically consider the future of the Bears coaching position.

Obviously if the Bears make the playoffs this year he stays as he should.

However, if he fails to make the playoffs this will be the third straight year the Bears miss the playoffs.

How many coaches in the NFL have been around for at least 5 years and missed the playoffs three straight years and kept his job? It seems to me that coaches in the NFL don't last very long unless they are among the truly elite and can survive off of reputation such as Mike Shanahan or are performing at a high level.

The NFL moves so fast and you have to work so hard that it causes coaches to have a short shelf life at any destination.

I just wonder if the Lovie Smith has stagnated here. He's an above average coach but I'm not so sure that next year will be significantly better unless Jay Cutler becomes a top 5 NFL QB.

I don't know if a new coach would be a ticket to the Super Bowl but I'm not sure that the Lovie Smith era really has a direction at this point and we are looking at a few more seasons of mediocrity.

I'd love to hear some coaches who have been around for at least 5 years, missed the playoffs three straight years, and then how they fared later on whether good or bad.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I think IF Lovie is back next year (I support Lovie),that he might benefit from a talent evaluator who has final say over the roster. It might benefit the team because too many guys get handed jobs without earning them. It seems to be a Lovie trademark. If he does not like it (evaluator),the Bears can tell him to quit with a mutual buyout. The Cowboy job will probably open up next season anyway.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

There's not many coaches that have been around for 5 years (with the same team); Jeff Fisher, Bellicheck, John Fox, are the only ones I can think of.

Others that may have been around 4-5 years- Wade Phillips, Sean Payton, Childress, Norv Turner.


Many people didn't think the Bears were a playoff team last year, but they showed they were better than that from game 1. They also had games last year where poor coaching and desicion making directly cost them a W- Atlanta, TB, Carolina come to mind right off as Lovie's team snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The win just one of those games, or the final game of the season against Houston, and they are a wild card.

If Lovie misses the playoffs this year at the very least a serious look must be given to changing coaches.

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To answer your question Rick, I can't think of any that fit that description. I think Lovie has gotten a little bit of a "pass" due to his lone Super Bowl appearance, but that ticket has pretty much expired by now.

The closest I have been able to find is Brian Billick but he only missed the playoffs in 3 out of the last 4 seasons before he was fired. He also won a Super Bowl instead of just getting there.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Then we can all ask Bernstein's "But who are you going to get instead?" question. Sadly I think a lot of Bears fans are looking at who they can get, but based on previous coaching hires I doubt any of those people are coaches the Bears will get.

I think the last coach the Bears had with previous experience as an NFL head coach was George Halas.

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I think this time we can get Dave McGinnis.

Andy Reid???? I think Marvin Lewis has been there for about 5 years. I think Coughlin is about 5 years into it with NY. Jack Del Rio has been with the Jags for awhile. Childress has only been a HC for a couple years.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I have to imagine that if the Bears do not make the playoffs this season, Lovie will be gone. Period.

Ding!Ding!Ding!. In fact I think the availability of so many well-regarded big money coaches will ensure Lovie stays put. Bears management is smart enough to avoid a potential PR nightmare if they were to opt for a relative unknown.

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“Mr. Trump is unfit for our nation’s highest office.”- JD Vance
“My god, what an !diot.”- JD Vance tweet on Trump
“I’m a ‘Never Trump’ guy”- JD Vance

Looks like FF found your guy. Marvin Lewis. This is his 7th year w/the Bengals. Had only 1 winning season (his 3rd year) followed by 3 years of not making the playoffs. I'd say he's faring pretty well this year though.
I think he gets a pass mostly because he took over a garbage franchise that hadn't had a winning season since 1990 and turned them into an consistently average franchise... record-wise anyway (I'm throwing out last year since Palmer didn't really play).
I'd say expectations are higher in Chicago.

I agree. Marvin Lewis seems to be the best answer.

I'd rather have Lovie Smith over Marvin Lewis even with the success of the Bengals.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Do we even know, however, what Lovie's coaching style is? I mean, we know he likes the Cover 2 and is typically defense-orientated, but other than that we really don't even know what the fuck he is thinking anymore.

I'm not calling for his firing, but.....he is a head coach based on his ability to coach defense. The team's defensive rankings have been steadily getting worse since the Super Bowl season, hasn't been to the playoffs in 3 seasons (if this year plays out that way), there are some excellent coaches waiting to get back into the league, and look at the direction of the league - it favors offense (not surprisingly). Why not get a coach in here who can get the most out of the star QB?

Yeah eating the rest of Lovie's contract and hiring a proven coach that costs money just isn't something I expect to see from the Bears. I'd love to be wrong though.

i think if the bears miss the playoffs, the staff is fired but lovie is kept for at least another season. ron turner's definitely gone.

W_Z, not everyone will be fired on Lovie's staff. Offensive Coordinator Ron Turner, Receivers Coach Darryl Drake, Offensive Line Coach Harry Hiestand and QBs Coach Pep Hamilton might be the fall guys if the Bears bellyflop...