Bears Offer Rod Marinelli A Deal

by Adam T on Jan 6, 2009 11:29 PM CST Comment 35 comments

UPDATE: The Chicago Sun-Times is disputing the claim that the Bears offered Rod Marinelli a contract. ESPN is running with the Chicago Tribune's report.

We have been demanding change in our coaching staff and although they are taking the round about way of doing it, it seems the Bears are retooling their defensive coaching staff. Defensive Line coach Brick Haley is on his way to LSU. As sheepskinz1 dropped in a Fan Post Linebackers Coach Lloyd Lee is out (I do not have an official link yet).

Now the Bears have officially offered former Lions coach Rod Marinelli a contract. The article suggests he could get hired for anything from "trusted advisor" to defensive line coach, but as it has been mentioned many times on this site, it may be that the Bears are lighting a fire under or greasing the hinges to show Babich the door.

It could be possible that once Marinelli is on board, Babich is gone. It could also be that as mentioned in the Fan Post that Babich, Smith and Angelo sat down and it was mutually decided that Babich is not ready for the spot and he is going to slide back into his old position of Linebackers coach.

Regardless of where we go Marinelli on board is a big plus for us. For those here and in the MSM that think the Bears are insane for bringing the man who just created history by leading a team that went 0-16 on board, that is the most ludicrous argument I've ever heard.

The guy got a head coaching gig based on his job at lower level jobs. To think because he may or may not be a good head coach means he isn't a good defensive line coach or defensive coordinator is a flawed statement. It just means he might not be able to run the whole show on both sides of the ball. For the record I think Marinelli will get another head coaching shot at some point and believe he can be successful, but that is a discussion for another time, for all we know he is Lovie Smith's successor.

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Rivera

should be Lovie’s replacement. They should get him back as DC to groom him. While he and Lovie didn’t get along, they worked well together the way Ditka and Buddie did.

by lindemrm on Jan 7, 2009 12:55 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

big difference there

Ditka was an offensive mind and Ryan had the d. Lovie and Rivera are on the same side of the ball,and that doesn’t bode well when you disagree.

by coolgjc on Jan 7, 2009 8:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

agree

on rivera being the next coach. or spanolou.

by mike b on Jan 8, 2009 7:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I want better players

really.

by ImmanuelKant on Jan 7, 2009 1:32 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

marinelli is not on board

by Hatchetm on Jan 7, 2009 6:42 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Joe Barry has all but thrown himself

at the Bears. That is one move I hope they pass, but maybe if it helps get Marinelli in it needs to be looked at. At this point I don’t think Urlacher and Briggs need a lot of coaching, so it might not hurt.

But Barry needs to stop riding papa in laws coattails.

Being Who You Thought We Were Since 2005!

by Adam T on Jan 7, 2009 7:33 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Is Lovie running a football team?

Or a family reunion?

I’m going to start calling his defense the “Nepotism 2”

I'm not going to even bother trying to update this sig everyday anymore... that's what the standings column on ESPN is for.
Updated on May 25, 2008

by SackMan on Jan 7, 2009 11:53 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yay!

I have to agree with you here. All of these moves are only furthering the country club that they call the Chicago Bears.

I'M A MAN! I'M 22!

by ChiFan13 on Jan 7, 2009 4:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

i doubt that's something

that is more prevalant on the bears than other places.

by mike b on Jan 8, 2009 7:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Amen!! Marinelli is in Seattle to see if he can get a package deal done for his son inlaw. If the Bears had offered to take them both it would have been a done deal.

by luckie815 on Jan 7, 2009 1:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Marinelli stuff

First off, the Lloyd Lee announcement is at http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=5514. Been there for a while.

Second, about the sanity of bringing in a coach that just lead his team to an 0-16 season… How can you consider that a “flawed statement” or a “ludicrous argument” with a straight face? He was the leader of the team that went 0-16. I agree that it wasn’t all his fault as Matt Millen and the owner totally ran the team into the ground with bad decisions (hey, anyone want to draft another wide receiver?), but Marinelli was still the primary leader of the team, the motivator. He gets to pick what type of offense and defense they run. Either they are the most talentless team ever, or Marinelli can’t lead/motivate them to a single victory.

So, it isn’t the 0-16 record that scares me so much because there are lots of factors into that, but it is my belief that our own defense has issues with motivation and leadership under Babich, so I don’t want to bring another coach in that isn’t going to change that. Of course, if he’s just the DL coach and not the coordinator, then maybe that doesn’t matter. But you can’t just discount the fact that he lead a team to 0-16 and call it ludicrous. Ludicrous is just ignoring the fact and hiring another person that is basically a Lovie Smith/Jerry Angelo “buddy.” The buddy network isn’t working, clearly.

Oh, and if you need proof that our D isn’t motivated, then explain to me how essentially the same roster of players playing in the same scheme that Ron Rivera coached can play so much worse under Babich. Furthermore, how can the San Diego Chargers’ defense improve so much in the middle of the season (surely they didn’t change the scheme much) when Rivera shows up? He’s obviously a leader, and Babich isn’t. I just don’t want to make the same mistake, so it is at least worth discussing, and not ludicrous.

For the record, I personally think Marinelli would be a good asset as a defensive coach from everything I’ve read about the man, but there is still a stigma about bringing in a guy that went 0-16. Then again, at this point I’ll take anyone as long as it is some sort of change.

by a-town on Jan 7, 2009 8:37 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Argument for Rod

I would argue that Marinelli did all he could with what he had, the only postive on that team is Calvin Johnson (Kevin Smith is looking ok to), you trade away the only other real threat in Roy Williams, and your D is questionable. For a team that was the worst in the league, I think Marinelli had them ready to play almost every Sunday, They almost beat the Vikings Twice, we should have lost the game in Chicago, and I am pretty sure they played GB tough both games as well. I dont follow the Lions that closely but I would Imagine they were in more games then people thought, and I dont think they ever quit on Marinelli. The Tennesse game on Thanksgiving was the only game I can recall that they got just stomped. Personally I think Marinelli did what he could with the train wreck Ford Sr. and Millen left him with. 0-16 is bad, but there were atleast 4-5 games the Lions could have and maybe should have won.

by CurtisConway on Jan 7, 2009 8:54 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

gotta give some props to Hub..

the day after the season when the d-backs coach was fired he said his sources told him that other coaches had already been told they wouldn’t be coming back.

guess he was right.

by Hatchetm on Jan 7, 2009 8:52 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

If that's truly the case

That is the worst PR campaign I’ve heard of.

“Oh, _______, we’re going to move on without you. As one last act of gratitude, would you act like you have a job here?”

I'M A MAN! I'M 22!

by ChiFan13 on Jan 7, 2009 10:20 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

no, they were fired immediately...

but it wasn’t released to the press right away. at least thas what HUBman sez…

by Hatchetm on Jan 7, 2009 10:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Seems Marinelli will take the Seattle job...

Because it’s more money.

I'm not going to even bother trying to update this sig everyday anymore... that's what the standings column on ESPN is for.
Updated on May 25, 2008

by SackMan on Jan 7, 2009 11:40 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Link? Or just figgerin'?

What was he offered? I hope he don’t go to Seattle…

Residence: Portland, Oregon Pro Team: Da Bears NCAA Football: LSU Baby!! Make sense?

by Dane Noble on Jan 7, 2009 11:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

if they're offering him the DC job and more money

(which would seem likely, since a DC should make more than a DL coach), i see no reason why he wouldn’t take it. unless we have some under-the-table deal to make him the DC, this shows our ineptitude. some of the top defensive minds are available this offseason, we have a guy who absolutely failed at his job at DC this past year…if we don’t come away with one of them (marinelli/crennel/mangini), bears fans should be livid. give one of them the DC gig and the money. move babich back to LBers (if we keep him).

by guy incognito on Jan 7, 2009 12:16 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Leslie Frazier once knocked on the door at Halas Hall

And said, “I wanna coach here.” The Bears said, “No thank you.” So, Frazier took a job with Tony Dungy, and beat us in the Super Bowl.

Michael Turner once knocked on the door at Halas Hall and said, “I wanna play here.” The Bears said, “No thank you.” Turner ran for 1,700 yards this year.

You see a trend?

I'm not going to even bother trying to update this sig everyday anymore... that's what the standings column on ESPN is for.
Updated on May 25, 2008

by SackMan on Jan 7, 2009 12:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes this GM and coaching staff

Sucks at evaluating talent.

Fire Ron Turner!!!
Fire Angelo!!

by GallopingGhost on Jan 7, 2009 12:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I was eluding to "ego."

Jerry and Lovie seem to have this tendency to want to prove their “geniusness.” Instead of making the sometimes simple, easy, and right decisions.

You can see this from the hiring/firing of coaches to the players that they draft as “projects” such as Mark Bradley and Daniel Manning.

You want a WR? Then draft a WR. Don’t draft a CB and try to convert him. You want a safety? Then draft a safety. Don’t draft a guy from a D-II school who has no position.

I'm not going to even bother trying to update this sig everyday anymore... that's what the standings column on ESPN is for.
Updated on May 25, 2008

by SackMan on Jan 7, 2009 1:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh yes, I agree with that. D. Manning gets converted to a nickel back and what do they do when Mike Brown hurts himself again? Insert Manning back at safety!!! What? He got converted to nickel back because he can’t play safety!!!! Time for him to go if he can’t play any of the positions (which he can’t, except kick returner, but Wolfe or Hester should be fine there anyway). They (coaches) definitely have an issue with stubbornness.

by a-town on Jan 7, 2009 3:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

True

But the one thing D-Man can do is return kicks.

Other than that, you got it.

I'M A MAN! I'M 22!

by ChiFan13 on Jan 7, 2009 4:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I do, I do!!! At least Forte made me less mad that they didn’t grab Turner. But, I still wish they grabbed Brees from San Diego (actually, I was hoping they’d draft him, but why would they do that and end our terrible streak of QBs?).

by a-town on Jan 7, 2009 12:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

We did get Forte and pay less than we would for Turner

so that wasn’t a total loss. The draft pick would have been nice, but spending money shrewedly is important and we did there.

The only players I thought we overpaid for at the moment the contract was signed was Ricky Manning, Jr, Vasher and Tillman. But Tillman I now think was worth it and Vasher, we’ll see if he bounces back.

I didn’t know Harris was going to plummit this year or Moose would suck or Hester would be iffy moving forward. But Harris, Vasher, and Hester could still be good again. We’ll see.

Kick it to me... I'm open!

by #23 on Jan 7, 2009 1:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

little exaggeration

there on turner is it not?

by mike b on Jan 8, 2009 8:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

They probably offered to take his son inlaw too.

by luckie815 on Jan 7, 2009 1:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

how this team can keep

Bob Babich is mind-boggling…

Visit The Cub Reporter (thecubreporter.com)

by thecubreporter on Jan 7, 2009 3:30 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you

But Lovie wants to get the ol’ gang back together. No one told Lovie that his gang sucks.

I'M A MAN! I'M 22!

by ChiFan13 on Jan 7, 2009 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

ESPN reporting that Mangini...

Will be going to the Browns.

Link here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3817088

Residence: Portland, Oregon Pro Team: Da Bears NCAA Football: LSU Baby!! Make sense?

by Dane Noble on Jan 7, 2009 5:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

In the Marinelli good/bad debate

Why has no one pointed out one thing that seems rather obvious to me which is who cares if he sucks as a head coach he could be a great assistant. Look no further than Cam Cameron, he took the Dolphins to a 1-15 season, was fired, then hired by Baltimore to run the offense. He took a rookie QB and groomed him at least to a point where he could run the offense well enough that they get into the playoffs and win a game. He obviously couldn’t get much from a talentless Dolphins team last but was able to lead a good offense in Baltimore this season. No motivation problems there.

Fire Ron Turner!!!
Fire Angelo!!

by GallopingGhost on Jan 8, 2009 2:54 AM CST reply actions 1 recs