Bears defensive coordinator Bob Babich reacted positively Tuesday night to the reshuffling of staff duties announced by head coach Lovie Smith. Both coaches attended Tuesday night’s Butkus Award ceremony at the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame.
Smith will call defensive signals for the Bears. Babich retains his title but will work specifically with the linebackers.
“I’m looking forward to getting back into the linebacker room and working with those guys,” Babich said.
“I worked with them for three seasons, and it was a lot of fun. I’m going to be in there coaching, so it’s going to be completely hands-on.”
Rod Marinelli and Jon Hoke have been added to the defensive staff.
“We’ve been busy putting together a staff,” Babich said. “That’s part of the evaluation process. We’re going to go through the whole season and evaluate the things we did well and the things that didn’t work out so well. Then we’ll try to formulate a plan to play better defense.
“The line of communication has to be good for any staff, and I’m looking forward to seeing coach Marinelli and coach Hoke. It’s going to be a great growing experience for me. I’m just looking forward to going through the spring and getting better.”
Overheard: Kyle Orton’s eagerness to return to the lineup after hurting his ankle in early November may have cost him a long-term vote of confidence from general manager Jerry Angelo.
Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said he’d spoken with Orton immediately after Angelo questioned the quality of the team’s quarterback position at a postseason news conference.
“He knows we believe in him,” Turner said. “And he knows the guys in that locker room believe in him. That’s what counts, and he’s not afraid of competition. He’s ready to go no matter what scenario is presented to him. I believe he will take another step and play really well.”
Orton was noticeably less effective after the ankle injury Nov. 2. He missed one game, and it appeared he returned a week or two too soon.
“Looking back on it, possibly,” Turner said. “We probably should not have played him [in a 37-3 loss to Green Bay]. He couldn’t push off on it.
“Not to make excuses for him, but it did take a few weeks for him to get back into rhythm. He’s so competitive. He wanted to be out there, and I don’t think there was any way we could have kept him off the field. But I’m not sure he was ready.”
Turner has spent time during the off-season evaluating tapes of Orton.
“Early in the season, you could see the confidence grow,” Turner said. “He had a few games where he was really making great decisions, throwing the ball with great accuracy. Then he hurt the ankle. The accuracy was probably what was most affected.
“Then late in the year, especially the last game, I think he got back to where he was earlier. When he was healthy, he was playing really well.”
Word on the street: Bears President Ted Phillips says his franchise is following the pattern of Blackhawks President John McDonough by showcasing and embracing the team’s legends. “This is the first step for the Bears to reach back out to the living Hall of Famers,” Phillips said of the Butkus Awards dinner. “We always talk about tradition and the legends. It starts with guys like Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers. We’ve made some efforts now to reach out and build better relationships.” …
Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware was the first NFL winner of the Butkus Award. The college winner was Aaron Curry of Wake Forest, and the high school honoree was Manti Te’o of Honolulu. …
Butkus and his son, Matt, have the financial backing and cooperation of the Bears organization for the awards and the anti-steroid program known as “I Play Clean.”
Said Butkus: “I’m excited about the Bears, and also the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks treated [Curry and Te’o] to a game. Being from Hawaii, [Te’o] never saw a game. But the Bears have been great. They are going to be a founder, which is a group of 51 (Butkus’ jersey number) guys that stepped up to the plate at the very beginning.”
Sights seen: Also spotted at the Butkus Awards event were Sayers, Ed O’Bradovich, Doug Buffone, Bobby Douglass and Dan Hampton.
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fmitchell@tribune.com
