As reported by CBS Sports Adam Hoge, the Chicago Bears will retain Jon Hoke as defensive backs coach and Mike Phair as defensive line coach.They have also announced that assistant DBs coach Gill Byrd will not return.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>OFFICIAL: Jon Hoke will return as <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Bears">#Bears</a> DB coach, Mike Phair will remain DL coach. Gill Byrd will not return.</p>— Adam Hoge (@AdamHogeCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamHogeCBS/status/292738048930762752" data-datetime="2013-01-19T20:59:24+00:00">January 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Hoke, entering his 5th season in Chicago, was believed to be in the running for the defensive coordinators position before they hired Mel Tucker. The organization must feel very highly of Hoke, as they blocked him from interviewing with the Vikings last year for their defensive coordinator position.
Phair will be entering his 3rd year in Chicago, and under his tutelage the defensive line had shown marked improvement. Before Phair took over the Bears defensive line had 25 sacks in 2010. In 2011, the D-Line collected 30 sacks and in 2012 they picked up 38.
Keeping a couple holdovers from the Lovie Smith regime gives me an inkling that head coach Marc Trestman may want to keep some of the Tampa 2 scheme in place. New DC Mel Tucker has adapted to his talent when ever he's coached, so it would not surprise me to see a familiar style of defense in 2013.