Bears Eyeing Marinelli

The Chicago Bears may have an old foe on their side next season. The Bears recently interviewed former Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli for a position. There is no word on what position he was in the running for, but he presumably would fit somewhere on defense. Marinelli and head coach Lovie Smith were on the defensive coaching team together at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier in their careers. After the performance this season of the Bears defensive coordinator Bob Babich, Marinelli could be a potential for that position. He was already considered for the Bears defensive coordinator in 2004, Smith’s first year.

Marinelli may be a hard sell to the Chicago fans. His resume at the Lions includes numerous losing seasons, culminated by this season’s 0-16 record, a league first. He was fired by the Lions at the end of the season. While many of the reasons for failure may not lie with Marinelli, it is difficult to see him as a cure for an ailing defense. Even if the Bears want Marinelli, he may not accept the offer. Marinelli is also being looked at by other teams in the league because of his defensive qualifications. Get your Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.

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