Twenty-four hours after he fired Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery praised the former coach for the work he did and then launched into an extensive explanation of what he’s seeking in a replacement.
Emery already has begun a fast-paced process that is expected to include a large number of candidates. Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan and Atlanta Falcons special teams coach Keith Armstrong have interviews set this week.
The search is expected to include coaches from all areas of the game – offense, defense, special teams, NFL and college. Emery has interviews scheduled for next week also, possibly including a candidate or two involved in wild-card round games this weekend. The general manager will conduct all of the initial interviews and then two or three finalists will be presented to a broader group including chairman of the board George McCaskey and team president Ted Phillips.
It was Phillips who mandated a year ago that Emery work with Smith for at least this past season, which ended in a 10-6 record and no playoff berth for the fifth time in six years. Emery said the year did not set him back in his goals for the franchise.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “No. 1, coach Smith is an excellent person, I’ve learned a lot from him, I’ve learned a great deal about our coaches. I like a lot of our coaches, I think we have a fine group, some of them may end up back here so that was very valuable.”
None of Smith’s assistants have been released from their contracts and Emery explained that they all received an extra year on their deals last year to protect them and give the club leverage. Emery indicated he might like a couple of them to remain and it’s easy to speculate special teams coordinator Dave Toub is part of that group.
But Emery’s focus is on finding the next leader of the team, one that can have the Bears competing immediately. He spoke multiple times about continuing to build around quarterback Jay Cutler.
“It’s very important that that person either himself or staff wise has the right person to help Jay develop, but it’s also very important that they help everyone develop,” Emery said.
Emery doesn’t have a preference for a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense but said the team’s personnel is geared for a 4-3 and that the new coach would have to do a great job of convincing him the team could make the transition to a 3-4 with the players currently in the mix.
“I think it’s really important to find the person that has the knowledge and feel to make things fit with the talent that they have,” Emery said. “That’s the mark of excellence that I’m looking for. Somebody that has adapted to the role or has the flexibility and the skill set to make the players that we have fit toward making a run for the championship.”
Emery said he has not been given a budget to use for the coaching search, a process that also involves the Bears paying the departed coaches. That figure alone could reach $10 million, including Smith’s deal.
Emery said Smith’s track record for missing the playoffs and the extended offensive ineptitude of the franchise led him to the decision he made. While he would not commit to hiring a new coach with an offensive background, you can bet Emery will grill candidates with a defensive or special teams background extensively on their offensive philosophy and the staff that the new coach has in mind.
“We haven’t had the balance between our defensive excellence (and offense),” Emery said. “We’ve had special teams excellence. We have not had consistency on the offensive side of the ball. We have gone through a number of coordinators. We have searched for answers.”
Emery also wants a positive personality that will inspire those around him to achieve the goals that are set.
“I want somebody to have some warmth that pulls everybody together in that we have synergy not only with our players but everybody in the building to work towards our common goal,” he said. “Upbeat and positive. Everybody has a different personality. Everybody represents themselves in a different way, but those qualities are paramount. We all want to work together in a position environment towards winning championships.”
“I want somebody that’s good on their feet. I think working with the media, not only in Chicago but in a national sense is very important. I want this person to stand up and represent us well. It’s a very tough job. It’s very demanding. Wins and losses weigh heavily week to week. There needs to be a level of consistency in this individual in how he presents himself, not only when we’re up but when we’re down and how we’re going to rebound from being down.”
“I’m excited to go through this process. We have started that process. We do have candidates lined up to talk to this week. We have candidates lined up for the following week. It’s an ongoing process and like I said we are working through a wide variety of people. No one has been excluded. It’s an open process. I want to talk to these individuals, listen to them, listen to their thoughts about how they can lead the Chicago Bears towards excellence.”
bmbiggs@tribune.com
Twitter @BradBiggs
Bears general manager: 'We need to consistently be in the playoffs'
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Bears general manager: 'We need to consistently be in the playoffs'
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Bears general manager: 'We need to consistently be in the playoffs'
