The Bears’ pursuit for an offensive-minded head coach that general manager Jerry Angelo described Monday will begin with him interviewing two defensive coordinators.
Angelo will meet in person Wednesday with Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel and later this week with Rams defensive coordinator Lovie Smith.
Both coaches have past connections with the Bears’ GM.
A source said not to read too much into Angelo interviewing two defensive coaches first because it is more a product of timing than anything. The NFL allows assistant coaches on teams with first-round byes in the playoffs to be interviewed until Friday.
Team president Ted Phillips promised Angelo will keep an open mind.
Teams have given assistant coaches their first head-coaching opportunity and flopped–Dave McGinnis in Arizona–while some have flourished, such as Jeff Fisher in Tennessee.
On the other hand, Marty Schottenheimer’s struggles in San Diego and Washington serve as a reminder that NFL head-coaching experience doesn’t guarantee a playoff run. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s Butch Davis and Washington’s Steve Spurrier show that college success hardly translates into NFL glory.
As Angelo and Phillips figure to find out, a hunch can be as important as employment history when finding the Bears’ next head coach. And they aren’t the only ones who have a hunch about Crennel and Smith.
Crennel, 56, has drawn interest from the Giants, Bills and Cardinals. The Falcons, Giants and Bills asked permission to interview the 45-year-old Smith.
Ousted Giants coach Jim Fassel also remains a viable candidate. The Cardinals, set to interview Fassel on Saturday, might beat the Bears to the punch.
Some experience required
The best way to an NFL head coaching job is to have already had one. Of the 32 head coaches in the league at the start of the 2003 season, 13 had been the top dog for other NFL teams. Only two coaches–Butch Davis and Steve Spurrier–made the leap directly from college to the pros.
PREVIOUS NFL EXPERIENCE
Head coach: 13
Bill Parcells, Dallas
In the process of turning around his fourth franchise.
Def. assistant: 10
Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati
Took woeful Bengals to respectability in first season.
Off. assistant: 7
Mike Martz, St. Louis
The offensive mastermind in Rams’ 2001 Super Bowl title.
COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
Head coach: 2
Steve Spurrier, Washington
Resigned Tuesday after two miserable seasons.
Note: coaches fitting multiple categories are grouped according to their highest-profile job.
Super Bowl shuffle Where the 10 teams that played in the last five title games got their coaches.
Head coach for other team: 5
Jon Gruden, Buccaneers
Bill Belichick, Patriots
Mike Shanahan, Broncos
Dan Reeves, Falcons
Dick Vermeil, Rams
– All but Reeves won.
Defensive assistant: 1
Jeff Fisher, Titans
– One lonely assistant, and he lost.
Offensive assistant: 4
Bill Callahan, Raiders
Mike Martz, Rams
Brian Billick, Ravens
Jim Fassel, Giants
– Only Billick won a Super Bowl.
College coach: 0
– The last coach from the college ranks to reach the championship was former Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer, who led Dallas to a Super Bowl win in 1996.
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Edited by Phillip Thompson (plthompson@tribune.com) and Drew Sottardi (dsottardi@tribune.com)
