Bears makes changes, but Smith, Angelo survive

According to team president and CEO Ted Phillips, the key to getting the Bears back to the playoffs after a three-year drought is change - but nothing too drastic.

General manager Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith will be back for 2010, but the Bears will have new offensive and defensive coordinators among a revamped staff.

Ron Turner was fired as offensive coordinator Tuesday with a year left on his contract. Linebackers coach Bob Babich held the title of defensive coordinator this past season, although Smith was defensive playcaller, duties the head coach will relinquish.

"After discussions with Jerry, Lovie and ownership, the conclusion was that Jerry and Lovie still know what it takes to win," Phillips said Tuesday afternoon. "They both brought us a championship contending team (in 2006). They did it together. They're aware of the mistakes that were made and they're both welcoming change.

"In my opinion, when you have change, you're bringing in new ideas, you're bringing in new energy, you're bringing in new passion. And that will help our players become the best players they can be."

For the past three years, the players Angelo procured and Smith coached compiled a 23-25 record and missed the playoffs each season. Dissatisfied fans have clamored for radical change, which Phillips acknowledged.

"We know it's a bottom-line business, and we're not asking for patience," he said. "What we are committed to is putting a winning team together in 2010.

"That's our goal. I believe that the fastest way to improve is to keep the continuity that we've had with both Jerry Angelo as our general manager and Lovie Smith as our head coach."

But, citing three straight seasons without a playoff appearance, Phillips said, "Status quo was not an option, and changes were necessary."

Six offensive coaches were dismissed by Smith: Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton, tight ends coach Rob Boras, assistant offensive line coach Luke Butkus and assistant wide receivers coach Charles London, in addition to Turner.

Wide receivers coach Darryl Drake and running backs coach Tim Spencer survived the purge.

"That just means there will be good coaches available for other teams," said Bears tight end Desmond Clark. "Our offensive coaches (got) us ready to play every week."

Turner's offense was 23rd in total yards, 19th in points and 18th in third-down conversions. The Bears scored 73 points in the final two games, but it wasn't enough.

"For the last three years," Phillips said, "it's been clear that no one did a good enough job in this organization. Nobody did."

But Angelo, Smith and the rest of his staff will keep their jobs, despite the just-completed 7-9 season, the third losing campaign in Smith's six seasons.

"Organizationally, we're all behind the decisions to keep Lovie and Jerry," Phillips said. "We think that's our best chance to win now."

Phillips said he has held several discussions over the past few weeks with Angelo, Bears owner Virginia McCaskey and her son, chairman of the board Michael McCaskey, regarding Smith's status.

Although Smith's defense arguably was more disappointing than a young offense that incorporated seven new starters, that side of the ball was spared, with the exception of Smith losing his playcalling duties.

"He's relinquishing that role," Phillips said. "So to bring in two new coordinators is quite a massive change. We'll get the right people in here that can embrace the systems that Lovie wants to put together on both sides of the ball."

Phillips said Smith was not ordered to give up the playcalling duties after the Bears' defense finished 27th in third-down efficiency, 21st in points allowed and 23rd in rushing yards allowed.

"There was no dictating," Phillips said. "When I sat down with Lovie and Jerry, they both had already thought about the kind of changes they thought were necessary to get us back to our winning ways. That wasn't an issue at all."

Smith took responsibility for Tuesday's firings but denied that the offensive shortcomings were solely responsible for a disappointing season.

"We're not blaming one side of the ball for our 7-9 record," Smith said. "I'm moving out of my role that I handled this past year as the defensive coordinator. I felt like last year, me being in that position was the best thing to do.

"I feel differently after going through this season, so I will be bringing in a defensive coordinator."

The search for offensive and defensive coordinators already has begun, with Smith's former head coach in St. Louis, Mike Martz, a popular candidate to lead the offense. Martz already has said he is hoping to get a call from the Bears.

Southern Cal assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, who was Jay Cutler's position coach for two years with the Denver Broncos, is another possibility. Fired Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis may be another person of interest.

On the other side of the ball, former Bears secondary coach Perry Fewell, who finished the season as the Buffalo Bills' interim head coach, is a logical choice, and the leading candidate according to NFL.com.