DABEARSDABOMB

Of all the expereinced guys (which is what i prefer)....Chucky scares me the most. On one hand, he won with journeymen like Gannon (Oakland) and Brad Johnson, on the other hand, the Bucs were ran into the ground and he took over one hell of a talented team. Dungy was a great great coach.

What matters is how they handle this. Will they spend the money...will they get the top guy. Will it matter? They once did get the top guy and we ended up with Wanny (who people may forget, was the guy).

I'm intrigued. He's young, talented, great personality, very good defensive mind. Plus, he has a lot of good connections from his collegiate coaching tree. You could also go out and hire a guy like Norv and say...run my offense. I don't cringe at this idea.

Haven't seen Pix in a bit. Welcome back!!! Hope all is well I'm intrigued with McCoy. He seemed to do a good job adjusting to Tebow a year ago but its hard to evaluate anyone when you have Manning. I could like good as an OC with Peyton as my QB. That said he made Delhomme look solid for a while and seems to have other good experience. I'm kind of intrigued by Muschamp. Not a name I had ever thought about and he's a defensive guy but if you bring in a guy like Norv to be the OC, could be interesting. I wonder if the Bears look at the Falcons OC (Koetter). I was so bummed when we lost out on hiring him last off-season (and really...that is why Lovie is gone...no one wanted to come be his OC and thats why we got Martz/Tice).

I find this very interesting and telling. Assuming this was the case, then the Bears should already have a pretty good idea of who they are targeting. Of realistic candidates, Bill O'Brien would be my preferred hire. I know there is no way Emery is hiring a proven head coach. I'm also warming up to Mike Holmgren. I must be crazy but don't want Jon Gruden. I have a hard time forgetting how bad the Bucs got as he got power happy. That said they aged and lost a lot of talent.

David Kaplan Tremendously well connected source tells me this AM that even had GB won Smith would have been fired if Bears did not make deep playoff run

Now the hard work begins. Finding a good coach isn't easy. Bears better be willing to pay and they better be prepared to move quickly. Their are a lot of teams trying to hire guys and on paper, Bears have one of the best roster (if not the best roster) of all these teams with vacancies.

Couldn't disagree more. If we won the superbowl and lost to the Packers twice, I could give two shits. To be frank, all I care about is winning. If we lose every game to the Packers and make the playoffs and do good in the playoffs, freak it. I'll take it. And going 2-14 is downright brutual any way you put it. I don't care if both wins are to the Packers...two wins is pathetic.

Marshall came out in support of Cutler, Bates, and Lovie. No mention of Mike Tice.

What makes anyone say he was told you have to keep Lovie just for 2012. I think people forget how much the McCaskeys like Lovie, especially the owner, Virginia.

And I'm not going to pretend that Emery is gods gift to GM's yet. I don't necessarily trust him to make the right hire. I think he'd be more likely to hire an unproven guy as it providers him with more security. Hiring a proven guy puts more pressure on him as a proven guy will no matter what get more authority then an unproven guy. I hope I'm wrong but I really don't think of Emery as a GM. I think of him as a pro football operation guy. Angelo was about the only GM this franchise ever had and even he stopped being that when Lovie got his fat extension after the superbowl.

The problem is, many insiders indicated Lovie really had no idea what he wanted (when they hired Martz and again with Tice) so they ended up getting stuck in a tough position. Bears missed out on some pretty darn good candidates too and I think Lovie was a large reason why. I could live with Norv Turner as our OC with Lovie staying but there is zero chance that Norv comes to play for Lovie (after Jay and Ron's difficulties and Lovie/Ron's issues).

He wants in. And Phllly fans still really really really like Reid. That says something.

98% of new HC's would be lucky to ever have the success that Reid/Lovie have had. We aren't replacing some bum, we are replacing a pretty good coach (I know I know..Bears fans think otherwise but the rest of the league respects the hell out of Lovie and he'll be hired to another HC job and probably get paid pretty well too). Grass is always greener. If we were replacing a total turd, I'd be more then willing to take a total shot in the dark, but reality is, we are in a win now situation and there aren't many excellent coordinator candidates out their. Andy Reid has done wonders with some mediocre QB's and has been very very successful. Much like Lovie, they could benefit a lot from a change in scenery.

The Patriot way has been a colossal failure everywhere else. freak the Patriot way. Unless you are getting Bill Belliceck, odds are it will be a joke. Crennell, Weiss, McDaniels. All great offensive minds who have failed miserably. Pioli in KC will get axed (and has been a complete train wreck). I'll pass.

Ask the Giants how that worked for them. Coughlin won two superbowls as a retread. Andy Reid is an incredible mind and a proven coach. He's much better then Holmgren. I'm not opposed to Holmgren but I'm curious as to what clowns would be on the list prior to Andy Reid. There aren't 12 better current head coaches then Andy Reid so I don't know how their are 12 better assistants. I'll chalk this up to the grass is always greener argument.

I don't buy into Emery all that much. I think he has a decent eye for talent but he has a lot to prove and I don't know that I'd go carte blanche. Arians is the only assistant I really am interested in. With this defense, the window to win is now. If I'm hiring someone, it is a guy that can run the offense (or is proven enough to hire a guy that can run the offense). I'm fine with the cover 2. I'm not a big believer in just switching to the 3-4. If they bring in a guy like Nolan or something to run the defense, then so be it.

Go ahead and hire some clown then. Andy Reid is one of the most inventive and brilliant offensive minds the league has seen and he is one of the more successful coaches in NFL history. reality is his time came in Philly, much like Lovie's has. Bears have an opportunity to take advantage of that and get a guy that is a QB guru and offensive guru to work with Marshall, Forte, and Cutler. This would be the best thing to happen to Jay. If Cowher comes I'm fine too. Bruce Arians is the only inexperienced coach i'd accept. However, given the talent on this team, hiring a mediocre assistant would piss me off. Their aren't that many names out their that are all that exciting (not when their are some really good head coaches on the market).

Probably only a handlful of coaches have ever spent that long with any one team as a head coach. There is a reason for that. 6 division championships; 5 trips to NFC championships. Best 10 year run in Eagles history. 130-93-1; 3 time coach of the year.

Belliceck was fired in the past. Shanny was fired. Coaches were hired to be fired. It happens. 9 playoff appearances in 14 seasons playing in what was one of the toughest divisions in football. Numerous NFC championships, lots of playoff wins. His entire team is hurt this year and they played hard till the end (despite an ass whooping). He's forgotten more about football then a lot of previous coaches. The guy is the very definition of elite. PS: Jeff Fisher was fired too. Lots of excellent coaches have been axed.

That is what I think happens too.

He is an elite coach and it would be a coup to hire him.

Outside of getting Cowher (which won't happen), it is the best option, imo.

There is no better candidate. He is an offensive genius and a QB guru. I want Cutler to have a stud offensive guy around him. I would be fine keeping Marinelli but it probably won't happen.

I still put the odds at greater that he isn't fired. Bottom line...one playoff appearance in 6 years is dismal.