A day after the Chicago Bears fired head coach Lovie Smith, general manager Phil Emery was set to explain his decision to the media at Halas Hall.
The Bears scheduled the news conference for 10 a.m. on the first day of the year. As soon as the session is over, Emery was expected to kick the search for Smith’s replacement into high gear.
"It was a tough day in many ways," Emery said of Smith's firinig. "It was a tough decision. Lovie had a good run here with good, competitive teams."
Missing the playoffs and struggles on offense were the key factors in Emery's decision.
"The end result was we didn't have enough consistecy," Emery said. "We need to consistently be in the playoffs competing for championships."
He already got started Monday, setting up interviews with Atlanta Falcons special teams coach Keith Armstrong, Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan. Those interviews are scheduled for this week.
Many more interviews are expected to follow, as Emery is likely to have an expansive search process that encompasses many kinds of candidates.
Emery was to address the media at the podium Tuesday, with team chairman George McCaskey and president Ted Phillips also being made available.
Smith was fired after a 10-6 season. The Bears missed the playoffs, as they had in five of the previous six years. His inability to fix the offense was an issue throughout his nine seasons in Chicago.
But Smith also will be remembered for his excellent defenses that came up with takeaways better than any team in the NFL throughout his tenure.
While the Bears are looking for Smith’s replacement, Smith is expected to be a candidate for other NFL head-coaching jobs. ESPN’s John Clayton reported Smith has been contacted by four teams, and Smith is expected to be a candidate for the Cardinals and Bills jobs.
dpompei@tribune.com
Twitter@danpompei
Emery to expound on Bears' coaching move
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Emery to expound on Bears' coaching move
