Ron Rivera out in Chicago

[colleyvillesooner]

http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl


Jay Glazer, of FOXSports.com, reports the Chicago Bears have opted not to renew the contract of defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, leaving one of the top defensive minds in the game without a job. The team wanted to pursue a long-term plan for the position due to Rivera's candidacy for numerous head coaching positions and head coach Lovie Smith felt the need to move in a different direction sooner rather than later. Smith will likely promote linebackers coach Bob Babich to the newly-vacated defensive coordinator position.

Will the Cowboys pick him up? He's a 4-3 guy.

[Rhino]

Stupid.

[GrapevineSooner]

Moronic.

He and Norv Turner's brother were good friends out in Chicago. My bet is if he winds up anywhere, it'll be in San Diego.

[fwsooner22]

That dang Lovie Smith.......he just has no idea what he is doing....

Bet ya there is more to this....and Lovie will be on the winning end again...he ain't stupid boys!

[Harry Beanbag]

Rivera's stock seems to have plummeted for some reason. Sure he's a candidate for every open job, but he never gets any of them.

[Scott D]

Moronic.

He and Norv Turner's brother were good friends out in Chicago. My bet is if he winds up anywhere, it'll be in San Diego.

unless it's as a position coach, newp..they've hired Ted Cottrell as the DC.

[Scott D]

That dang Lovie Smith.......he just has no idea what he is doing....

Bet ya there is more to this....and Lovie will be on the winning end again...he ain't stupid boys!

ya it's called Lovie doesn't sign the checks. The Halas family...er McCaskey family, are well pretty cheap. It'll be interesting to see what they do in regards to Lovie's contract because he's up at the end of the upcoming season.

[fwsooner22]

ya it's called Lovie doesn't sign the checks. The Halas family...er McCaskey family, are well pretty cheap. It'll be interesting to see what they do in regards to Lovie's contract because he's up at the end of the upcoming season.

That's probably accurate but if Lovie wanted RR back he would be there, which kinda shoots down the cheapskate theory (but only in this case)......something about RR just isn't right....let's see where it all leads.....

[jk the sooner fan]

RR has said publicly that he needs to get out from under Lovie Smith to ever get a head coaching job.......as many jobs as he's interviewed for, I'm sure the owners are letting him go to find greener pastures since he's spending so much time looking for it

[Harry Beanbag]

Are there any DC positions currently open?

[colleyvillesooner]

Dallas

[Harry Beanbag]

Dallas

Still? I'm sure he'll end up there then.

[colleyvillesooner]

He's a 4-3 guy, Wade is a 3-4 guy. Would they do that?

[fwsooner22]

Jerry is not hiring a 4-3 guy.....Wouldn't they have already hired RR????

Maybe I am wrong....wouldn't be the first time.....I bet we are gonna find out there was bad blood between Lovie and RR

[Harry Beanbag]

Jerry is not hiring a 4-3 guy.....Wouldn't they have already hired RR????


My understanding is that another team isn't allowed to interview somebody else's coach for a lateral move. Now that he's unemployed it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm not sure about the 4-3, 3-4 thing. If you're a good enough coach you shouldn't have much of a problem coaching either. Personnel also dictates that kind of thing to I would think.

[colleyvillesooner]

Didn't see that coming:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2771716

Rivera joins the Chargers as linebackers coach
By John Clayton
ESPN.com

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera may have lost out to Norv Turner for the chance to be San Diego's head coach, but the Chargers got the best of all worlds.

Rivera accepted a job to be a linebackers coach hours after learning his contract would not be extended by the Bears. For the Chargers, general manager A.J. Smith and Turner, it was a major coup in trying to move closer to a championship run.

"This is big," Turner told the Chargers Web site, hours after accepting his own job with San Diego. "Ron's qualifications speak for themselves. He has a wide range of experience with a variety of defenses as both a player and a coach. He's coming from a team fresh off a Super Bowl season and whose defense over the past two years has been as good as any in the league."

After what was considered an excellent interview for the head coaching job, Rivera told the Chargers and Turner he was willing to discuss a position on the staff. Turner hired Ted Cottrell as the defensive coordinator, but Rivera was an object of private discussions all day.

For Rivera, the idea of joining the Chargers was another way to improve his stock for a future head coaching job. Rivera was defensive coordinator of a Super Bowl team, but he was pigeonholed in some ways. He was considered a 4-3 defensive specialist and so many of the openings this year wanted coaches with 3-4 experience.

The Chargers liked the idea of bringing in Rivera to help improve their third-and-long package along with coaching the linebackers. Coming from a 4-3 scheme, Rivera can offer suggestions to improve the third-down pass rush. Most 3-4 teams go to a four-man line in third-and-long situations.

Plus, Rivera could enhance his resume this season by learning the 3-4. He's had eight interviews for head coaching jobs but has not been able to secure one. Getting the 3-4 experience might be the edge he needs to get a 2008 head coaching job in what is expected to be a wide-open market.

"He'll bring an entirely new dimension to the defensive staff," Turner told Chargers.com. "Ron will be an outstanding addition to our staff."

Rivera will work with John Pagano, a linebacker coach who is currently under contract and expected to stay. The Chargers like having two linebacker coaches. Earliers this month they lost linebacker coach Greg Manusky, who joined the San Francisco 49ers as the defensive coordinator.

In getting Rivera, the Chargers believe they put a cap on what was an important day in getting ready for the 2007 season.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

[Scott D]

Didn't see that coming:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2771716


2/19/2007 05:27 PM
Scott D


Moronic.

He and Norv Turner's brother were good friends out in Chicago. My bet is if he winds up anywhere, it'll be in San Diego.

unless it's as a position coach, newp..they've hired Ted Cottrell as the DC.

oh? :D

[jk the sooner fan]

he's taking a pay cut (assuming since its from a coordinator position to a position coach) and moving to an area with a higher cost of living

smart move!

[Scott D]

eh there really wasn't going to be much open I bet. And from what's been said he's probably making as much as a position coach in San Diego as he was as the DC in Chicago. (To give an idea, he made less than 1/4 what the current OC in Washington makes)

[GrapevineSooner]

oh? :D

I didn't specify he'd be a defensive coordinator. :D

[Scott D]

I didn't specify he'd be a defensive coordinator. :D

hehe not you, that was meant for coffeyville :D

[colleyvillesooner]

:mad:

[Fugue]

:D