Well, he said he felt his time had come. I guess the feeling was correct but he needs to hone those esp skills a little better.

I assume he will take the year off and put the on a hard charge for a head coaching position next year.

What have you heard? He's not coming back to the Bears? Why? Or you are joking. I think it's pretty impressive. He's interviewed and been rejected by half of the league. That has to be a reccord. By next year the entire league will reject him when the new batch of coaches get fired and it's time to interview Riveria again.

Reportedly Lovie told him to pursue other options.

Really. Who's reporting that. What other options does he have? There are no defensive coaching jobs available. I suppose somebody could name him assistant head coach.

Whatever the case may be I'm sure he'll be a head coach next year.

Foxsports.com.

Linebacker coach Babich to be named DC

The Chargers have a new head coach who may be looking to bring in his guys, and Chico coached with his brother. I don't know whether this is a matter of the Bears looking to go on the cheap or Chico not fully buying into Lovie's defensive philosophy.

THIS SEEMS PRETTY DUMB TO ME....

Bears head coach Lovie Smith is making long-term plans for the future of the team and one of the plans could surprise many Bears fans.

FOXSports.com has learned that Chicago has decided to not renew the contract of defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. Team sources say that Smith and Rivera met recently and agreed to allow Rivera to pursue other opportunities. The sources also contend that Smith will likely end up promoting Bob Babich from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator.
People inside the Bears saw this coming for a while as Babich has been reached out to from a handful of teams in the last two off-seasons and Smith, who unlike many other coaches does not block his assistants from moving up, did not want to lose him. Thus, the head coach had a tough decision to make and promoting Babich was his choice.

Babich is also viewed as more of a long-term option for Smith as Rivera was in the running for several head coaching jobs this off-season and last year. To this point, however, he has failed to land one. He did not sign an extension last off-season, which allowed him to be a free agent after the Bears' Super Bowl run. Most teams figured he'd get one of the vacant head coaching openings and as a result has been left out in the cold.

As for a defensive coordinator opening, there's only one open right now and that is Ted Cottrell's for the taking in San Diego. Still, now that Rivera is officially free another team may decide to make a run at a man who helped guide a unit to this year's prized game.

Rivera has been with Smith since he took over the head coaching duties in Chicago.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6485778

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@audioidkid

Turner named a defensive coordinator for his Chargers already. Can't think of the name. He's a 3-4 guy however. Like I said he can get an assistant head coaching job maybe from some team. But why would teams want to pay him big money if they have their D-Cooridnator and know he's probrally gone next year anyway.

Here's the link http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6485778


Not even a mention in the latest local ESPN Radio update one second ago. Not listening to the Score so don't know if they're talking about it

EDIT: Okay, the national update guy just said it, not Juday though for some reason

Eh, Rivera is overrated. However I think he just became Lovie Smith's scapegoat for stubbornness and lack of creativity on defensive gameplanning. The last two playoff losses for the Bears confuse the hell out of me. The fact that this defense never made adjustments or do anything to confuse the opposing offense. I blame Lovie for it and I think Rivera is the one who got the boot because of it. Lovie better get his shit together. Thank God for his sake he's getting that extension.

Prediction: I think Rivera will eventually prove himself to be a better defensive coach than Lovie is.

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TM, after my comment you'd think I disagree with your statement. However, I don't. I think its possible.

You'd think so, wouldn't you.

Yep. I don't find Lovie to be all that as an x's and o's guy either so its definitely possible. Rivera could prove to be better.

How about this for a possibility. With Riveria there maybe Lovie thought that would hurt his negotiations. Maybe he wanted Rivera out because then the Bears can say.

"Lovie, work this last year under your current contract and then we'll see."

Then if it goes bad, or they don't win the Super Bowl, they could hire Rivera for a beginers coach salary and tell Lovie to hit the road.

So Lovie eliminated that possibility.

Beardown, that could be a very good possibility too.

I don't think this will really change much. The Bears defense was amazing because of Urlacher, Briggs, Brown, and Harris. They were above average without 2 of them. I liked Ron Rivera but someone else can drive the bus and do as close to as good as they were last year.

It also could work out well for Rivera if he can have success for another team, then he is going to have his choice of coaching jobs. Lovie Smith, whether right or wrong, gets all the credit for the defense. Rivera was not given the same credit as people like Cam Cameron(who sucked in his last head coaching job), Wade Phillips, Norv Turner, and a bunch of other people.

There is a reason why he interviewed so many times and didn't get a job. I don't think it is because of his ability, but because of questions about how much of an impact he had on the Bears. It is kind of like a rookie who drops in the draft. I wish Ron the best and when he isn't playing the Bears, I hope he does well, but I don't really think this is going to affect the Bears either way next year.

I suspect it had more to do with money than anything with Lovie's renewal coming up and the need for $$ to satisfy him. The Bears are probably unwilling to pony up the dough for a high paid DC and coach. There may be some personality conflicts as well but I doubt that is leading this charge.

Also, I think it is strange that the year after the Bears go to the Super Bowl, they always lose their DC. What's Vince Tobin doing?

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You know me like that.

I dont think this is huge, because it is lovies system, but it also seems to be a case of the bears being cheap and the scares me.

yeah...after thinking about it and listening to the shows today, it makes sense to me. if Ron gets a head coaching job then this obviously isn't news...
Simply, the Tampa 2 is not a Ron Rivera style defense. He simply "coordinated" it for the head coach.

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@audioidkid

This is more about Lovie wanting a 'yes man' and rewarding his college coaching buddy Bob Babich more than anything.

When Chico deviated from the cover 2, and played man coverage, the Bears beat the Saints.

How did that Tampa 2 do against Steve Smith and against Indy?


I'm having 80s flashbacks.....

First the D-Coordinator leaves - then the outside linebacker goes to another team for two first round picks.

Grid....You can play man coverage in Cover 2.

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@audioidkid

All of which detracts me from the thought that the Offense didn't do as much as they should have to won that game. Actually, no it doesn't.

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Middle Aged Crazy, like Uncle Terry

That's what I said a few lines up JAWS. Everyone is a little evil. Even the God fearing Lovie. So yes that is the reason. He felt threatened by Rivera. This helps his status for negotionations.

I don't think this was about money. The McClaskey's liked Rivera. Angelo liked Rivera. In fact Rivera was an Angelo hire. Obviously it was Angelo's pick since Rivera had no Tampa 2 experience. Lovie took him because he was just hired.

Knowing the Bear$ hi$tory, I'm pretty $ure it'$ motivated by money.
Rivera wanted a rai$e that the team wa$n't willing to cough up.
Maybe they feel that the $500k or whatever he wa$ looking for in a rai$e can be better u$ed el$ewhere.

None of thi$ con$piracy crap would be an i$$ue, if he got the SD job and Babich wa$ promoted from within.

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“Mmmm. Move over, eggs. Bacon just got a new best friend - fudge.”

I think that's easy to say and everybody likes to call the Bears cheap. But I think this was a Lovie decision. I don't even think they negotiated at all with Rivera. His contract expired and they just said good bye.

It never got down to money with Chico. Chico said so himself in the press conference.

Now if Angelo told Lovie 'hey... you're only going to have 'x' amount of money for the entire staff' then maybe Lovie made a pre-emptive strike by 'cutting some of that salary'.

This story won't be 'complete' until 2 - 3 weeks from now, after Chico lands another job, and then the 'talking' begins.

Chico isn't gonna say a bad word about Lovie now.

Bob Babich.... Lovie Smith's Mr. Coffee.

what a headache.

im glad spring training is starting.

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Yeah, I just heard the audio on the way home.
It sounds like they couldn't agree on how to run the defense.
They were both trying to say the right things and not burn any bridges, but Lovie said he does things to give the team the best chance to win, so if you complete that thought, in this case it was getting rid of Rivera and bringing in his own guy.

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“Mmmm. Move over, eggs. Bacon just got a new best friend - fudge.”

Chico was more focused on looking for his next job than doing the one he had.

The week prior to the Seattle playoff game was an interview week. Bears D struggled.

The week prior to the New Orleans game - no interviews. Bears D was ready.

The week prior to the Super Bowl - all that Dallas cloak and dagger stuff took place. Bears D was not ready.

Rivera had his one foot out the door for a long time. Lovie helped him finish the job. Rivera did a nice job, but now it's time for someone that wants to be here doing this job, not somewhere else doing another one.