Lovie Smith NFL Coach Of The Year
Voters Show Smith Love Bears Coach Edges Colts' Dungy For Coach Of The Year
By K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune staff reporter
Published January 8, 2006
Offering respect, humility and restraint similar to what Brian Urlacher showed in winning a major postseason honor 24 hours earlier, Lovie Smith continued a banner week for the Bears on Saturday when he won the NFL Coach of the Year Award. Smith didn't say "whoop de doo," a phrase Urlacher used after being named Defensive Player of the Year to illustrate his goal is a Super Bowl ring. But Smith mentioned the same goal and, like Urlacher, spread credit around, this time to his assistants, players and the organization that gave him his first NFL head-coaching job. Smith joins legendary Bears coaches George Halas and Mike Ditka, along with Dick Jauron, as winners of the award. Halas and Ditka each won twice and the combined six honorees are the most of any NFL franchise. "Knowing what I do about [Halas and Ditka] and all of the great coaches who have come through here, each day I'm living a dream to even be talked about with those guys," Smith said on a conference call. "I'm blessed to be a Bear. Each day I realize that. It seems like more and more each day."This is where I would like to be the rest of my coaching career. It's the greatest organization in pro football." Smith said he spoke with Chairman Michael McCaskey, President Ted Phillips and general manager Jerry Angelo on Saturday morning. "Those guys gave me a chance," he said. "I just hope that they feel good about the direction we're heading with our program." They do to the point a contract extension is a strong possibility after the Bears' playoff run concludes. Smith, who has two years remaining on his original four-year deal, said he's happy with his contract and merely excited for playoff football. Smith received 24.5 votes of a possible 50 from a nationwide panel of writers and broadcasters. He narrowly edged close friend Tony Dungy, who led Indianapolis to a 14-2 mark and received 20.5 votes. Smith, who said he would have voted for Dungy, engineered a worst-to-first turnaround despite losing starting quarterback Rex Grossman to a broken ankle in the preseason. Using the Cover 2 scheme that he helped hone while working with Dungy in Tampa Bay, Smith and defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who interviewed Saturday for the Packers' top job, presided over a dominant defense. The Bears allowed a league-low 202 points. The defense keyed an eight-game winning streak after the Bears dropped to 1-3 with a disappointing loss in Cleveland. Assistants have credited Smith for calling a staff meeting that Monday at which he flashed his upbeat demeanor. "You can go one way or the other," Smith said in his typical downplaying fashion. "You can complain and wonder why or you can go and do something about it. We did something about it." Smith, who said the honor should be "an assistant coaches of the year award," credited Dungy for what he learned from him. He also spoke eloquently about the impact of minority coaches. Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis also received a vote. "We're just all trying to help the next person get an opportunity," Smith said. "Hopefully, the success we're having will help them do that." Smith's even-keeled demeanor occasionally was criticized for lacking passion when the Bears limped through an injury-plagued 5-11 season in 2004. But this unwavering consistency is why Smith said he's not surprised that, now healthy, the Bears are successful. And players laud his approach. "Everyone responds well to him because he has a low-key confidence about him that demands your respect," Grossman said. "He gets his point across in the way that relates to everyone." You get some fiery guy that yells, that might not go over well with some people. But it's cut-and-dried with Lovie. You're either getting the job done or he'll find someone else who does."He's a straight shooter. Anytime he needs to talk to you, he'll bring you up in his office, sit you down, treat you like a man and tell you the truth. I respect a guy who does that." Added defensive tackle Tommie Harris: "The way he carries himself as a man [means more] to my life than his coaching style. That affects everybody on the field because they want to work hard for him. He pushes you to be a man." The first time Halas and Ditka captured the award, the Bears capped those 1963 and 1985 seasons, respectively, by winning the NFL championship and Super Bowl. Continuing that trend wouldn't surprise Smith. "I definitely get a sense this is the Bears' year," he said. "We have a special team of character. We have great team chemistry. Whatever it is the good teams have that make a run, this team has it."We've had it for a while. The players believe that. Hopefully, we'll be able to prove that once we get started in the postseason."
By K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune staff reporter
Published January 8, 2006
Offering respect, humility and restraint similar to what Brian Urlacher showed in winning a major postseason honor 24 hours earlier, Lovie Smith continued a banner week for the Bears on Saturday when he won the NFL Coach of the Year Award. Smith didn't say "whoop de doo," a phrase Urlacher used after being named Defensive Player of the Year to illustrate his goal is a Super Bowl ring. But Smith mentioned the same goal and, like Urlacher, spread credit around, this time to his assistants, players and the organization that gave him his first NFL head-coaching job. Smith joins legendary Bears coaches George Halas and Mike Ditka, along with Dick Jauron, as winners of the award. Halas and Ditka each won twice and the combined six honorees are the most of any NFL franchise. "Knowing what I do about [Halas and Ditka] and all of the great coaches who have come through here, each day I'm living a dream to even be talked about with those guys," Smith said on a conference call. "I'm blessed to be a Bear. Each day I realize that. It seems like more and more each day."This is where I would like to be the rest of my coaching career. It's the greatest organization in pro football." Smith said he spoke with Chairman Michael McCaskey, President Ted Phillips and general manager Jerry Angelo on Saturday morning. "Those guys gave me a chance," he said. "I just hope that they feel good about the direction we're heading with our program." They do to the point a contract extension is a strong possibility after the Bears' playoff run concludes. Smith, who has two years remaining on his original four-year deal, said he's happy with his contract and merely excited for playoff football. Smith received 24.5 votes of a possible 50 from a nationwide panel of writers and broadcasters. He narrowly edged close friend Tony Dungy, who led Indianapolis to a 14-2 mark and received 20.5 votes. Smith, who said he would have voted for Dungy, engineered a worst-to-first turnaround despite losing starting quarterback Rex Grossman to a broken ankle in the preseason. Using the Cover 2 scheme that he helped hone while working with Dungy in Tampa Bay, Smith and defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who interviewed Saturday for the Packers' top job, presided over a dominant defense. The Bears allowed a league-low 202 points. The defense keyed an eight-game winning streak after the Bears dropped to 1-3 with a disappointing loss in Cleveland. Assistants have credited Smith for calling a staff meeting that Monday at which he flashed his upbeat demeanor. "You can go one way or the other," Smith said in his typical downplaying fashion. "You can complain and wonder why or you can go and do something about it. We did something about it." Smith, who said the honor should be "an assistant coaches of the year award," credited Dungy for what he learned from him. He also spoke eloquently about the impact of minority coaches. Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis also received a vote. "We're just all trying to help the next person get an opportunity," Smith said. "Hopefully, the success we're having will help them do that." Smith's even-keeled demeanor occasionally was criticized for lacking passion when the Bears limped through an injury-plagued 5-11 season in 2004. But this unwavering consistency is why Smith said he's not surprised that, now healthy, the Bears are successful. And players laud his approach. "Everyone responds well to him because he has a low-key confidence about him that demands your respect," Grossman said. "He gets his point across in the way that relates to everyone." You get some fiery guy that yells, that might not go over well with some people. But it's cut-and-dried with Lovie. You're either getting the job done or he'll find someone else who does."He's a straight shooter. Anytime he needs to talk to you, he'll bring you up in his office, sit you down, treat you like a man and tell you the truth. I respect a guy who does that." Added defensive tackle Tommie Harris: "The way he carries himself as a man [means more] to my life than his coaching style. That affects everybody on the field because they want to work hard for him. He pushes you to be a man." The first time Halas and Ditka captured the award, the Bears capped those 1963 and 1985 seasons, respectively, by winning the NFL championship and Super Bowl. Continuing that trend wouldn't surprise Smith. "I definitely get a sense this is the Bears' year," he said. "We have a special team of character. We have great team chemistry. Whatever it is the good teams have that make a run, this team has it."We've had it for a while. The players believe that. Hopefully, we'll be able to prove that once we get started in the postseason."
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