Don’t cry for Greg Blache or John Shoop.
Both former Bears coordinators embarked on new directions in their careers Thursday as new coach Lovie Smith started searching for their replacements.
Shoop will interview Friday with Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden for the chance to be the Buccaneers’ quarterbacks coach, and Blache has several opportunities after deciding to start anew elsewhere.
Blache rejected the Bears’ overtures to remain on Smith’s staff a day after sources identified him as the top choice to stay as the Bears’ defensive coordinator. He discussed that possibility with general manager Jerry Angelo in a meeting Tuesday afternoon. Two sources said Blache went to the interview hoping to discuss the head-coaching job but Angelo had no intention of offering it.
“In the right situation, we said there might be a scenario [for Blache], and he said he might listen, but we never agreed to anything,” Angelo said. “Greg really liked it here, we really liked Greg . . . but he understood what he was comfortable with.”
It seemed unlikely Blache would have been comfortable working under Angelo. Before the Bears’ final game of the season, Blache indirectly criticized Angelo for failing to support Dick Jauron, and a source said not being interviewed to replace Jauron bothered Blache more than he indicated publicly.
“There was a bit of disappointment initially, but at the same time I understand,” Blache said Thursday. “I just think it’s best for everybody involved for me just to head on down the road. I have my cowboy outfit on. I’m going to ride off into the sunset.”
He might be heading into a snowdrift. Blache is believed to be a leading candidate for defensive coordinator in Buffalo, and a league source said Thursday night the Chiefs have “significant interest” in him. He interviewed with the Steelers on Wednesday for the job expected to go to Dick LeBeau.
“I would suspect I’m going to land on my feet,” Blache said.
Same goes for Shoop. The Tampa Bay opportunity is one of several the embattled former offensive coordinator is pursuing at the pro and college level.
A league source said a couple of teams asked the Bears’ permission to interview Shoop within days of Jauron’s firing and several others contacted him informally. At 34, Shoop has plenty of time to re-invent himself in the NFL, or in college, after a tumultuous tenure in Chicago. Efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.
Shoop’s former colleague with the Bears, quarterbacks coach Greg Olson, also left town for good Thursday. Olson took a job with the Lions and his former boss, Steve Mariucci, as offensive assistant.
Offensive line coach Bob Wylie took the same job with the Cardinals. Tight ends coach Pat Flaherty also had an interview scheduled with Arizona.
The Bears think highly of defensive backs coach Vance Bedford, and Smith met with him Thursday night.
Jauron continues to draw interest around the league as well. After missing out on the Bills’ head-coaching job, Jauron spoke with San Diego and Detroit. The Jets also have requested permission to interview Jauron, who sources close to him said was leaning toward joining old friend Tom Coughlin as the Giants’ assistant head coach in charge of defense.
Smith will begin working to fill his new staff on Friday. He already had requested permission from the Chiefs to interview quarterbacks coach Terry Shea as offensive coordinator and from the Buccaneers to interview defensive line coach Rod Marinelli as defensive coordinator. Those situations should become more defined Friday, when the Bears will consider a backup plan if Tampa Bay refuses to make Marinelli available to interview with Smith, a close friend.
League sources also said Smith would like to bring Rams linebackers coach Bob Babich and former Giants offensive line coach Jim McNally to Chicago. However, sources said late Thursday that McNally had accepted a job with Buffalo.
