Be Wary of the Chicago Bears

March 16, 2012; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery (center) poses for a photo after a press conference introducing wide receiver Brandon Marshall (left) and quarterback Jason Campbell at Halas Hall . Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

In the week following the firing of head coach Lovie Smith, many jokes and laughs have come at the expense of the Chicago Bears and their coaching search.

During that time, Bears General Manager Phil Emery has interviewed at least 10 (and probably more) candidates ranging from special teams coordinators to Canadian Football League coaches while avoiding most of the popular names such as Chip Kelly and John Gruden. It seems like there will be many more interviews before the Emery even approaches any candidate for a second sit down.

Laugh now, but regret it later. This is exactly what a smart organization does.

Unless a team is trying to nail down a big fish – an approach that isn’t fail-safe by any means – there is no incentive to rush a decision. Nor is there any good reason not to interview as many viable candidates as possible. It wasn’t that long ago that the Green Bay Packers were chastised for doing exactly what the Bears are doing now.

Jan 5, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy on the sidelines in the third quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Following the 2005 season, Packers general manager Ted Thompson embarked on a coaching search which involved holdover defensive coordinator Jim Bates, Maurice Carthon, Brad Childress, Ron Rivera, Wade Phillips, Sean Payton, and an out of left field candidate, Mike McCarthy.

Everyone knows who ended up with the job, and while nearly all those names have been head coaches at some point, all but perhaps Payton have failed to accomplish as much as McCarthy. McCarthy leads all the candidates the Packers considered in wins and winning percentage in the regular season and the playoffs. He, along with Payton, are the only head coaches in the group to win a Super Bowl. McCarthy has a shot at a second ring this year.

Now back to the Bears. By expanding their search outside of the expected candidates, they’ve given themselves a greater view of what is really available on the coaching market. Consequently, they may come to prefer a candidate that few fans even knew about just weeks earlier. These surprise hires may not rally a fan base, but winning with the right coach does, and it definitely outshines the afterglow of a popular but ultimately ill-advised hire.

The Bears have looked primarily at offensive coordinators, which makes sense given their woes on that side of the ball in recent years. In addition to looking at an array of candidates, Emery has been smart to also consider coaches from teams that don’t have great records. Joe DeCamillis of the Dallas Cowboys (8-8), Mike Sullivan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9), and Pete Carmichael Jr. of the New Orleans Saints (7-9) have all interviewed with the Bears this past week.

This provides another parallel to McCarthy’s hiring. McCarthy had just completed his first season as the offensive coordinator of the 4-12 San Francisco 49ers when he interviewed with Green Bay. That hire clearly worked out, and proves to show how team success is not always emblematic of the quality of assistant coaches.

We won’t know who the Bears hire for several days, and we certainly won’t know how that hire works out for several years, but all indications suggest this will be a smart hire.

A hire that should make Packers fans worry, not laugh.

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Lombardi Ave. He has previously written for Hail to the Orange, College Hoops Net, Mocking the Draft, LiveBall Sports, and the List Universe. He is currently a senior writer for Beats Per Minute, an indie-music webzine. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JBHirschhorn. Also Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow Lombardiave on Twitter.

Also sign up and have your daily newsletter emailed from Lombardiave.com and Fansided.com here – 

Email Address *

LOCATION (Only if you want to subscribe to All Teams in Region) None
Anaheim
Arizona
Atlanta
Austin
Baltimore
Birmingham
Boston
Brooklyn
Buffalo
Calgary
Charlotte
Chicago
Cincinnati
Columbia
Cleveland
Colorado
Columbus
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
Edmonton
Houston
Indianapolis
Iowa City
Jacksonville
Kansas City
London
Los Angeles
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minnesota
Montreal
Nashville
New Jersey
New Orleans
New York
Oklahoma City
Orlando
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Portland
Sacramento
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
St. Louis
Tampa
Toronto
Utah
Vancouver
Washington
Winnipeg

NFL None
NFL Mocks
NFL Spin Zone
With the First Pick
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texas
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
St. Louis Rams
San Diego Chargers
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins

MLB None
Call to the Pen
Seedlings to Stars
Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Colorado Rockies
Detroit Tigers
Florida Marlins
Houston Astros
Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Dodgers
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Oakland Athletics
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners
St. Louis Cardinals
Tampa Bay Rays
Texas Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays
Washington Nationals

NBA None
King James Gospel
Sir Charles in Charge
Saving the Sky Hook
Brooklyn Nets
Boston Celtics
Charlotte Bobcats
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Hornets
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia Sixers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

NCAA None
Busting Brackets
Saturday Blitz
FanSided 150
Alabama Crimson Tide
Arizona Wildcats
Arkansas Razorbacks
Auburn Tigers
Boston College Eagles
California Golden Bears
Cincinnati Bearcats
Duke Blue Devils
Florida Gators
Georgia Bulldogs
Illinois Fighting Illini
Indiana Hoosiers
Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa State Cyclones
Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas State Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats
LSU Tigers
Maryland Terrapins
Miami Hurricanes
Michigan Wolverines
Michigan State Spartans
Missouri Tigers
Nebraska Cornhuskers
North Carolina Tar Heels
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ole Miss Rebels
Oregon Ducks
Oregon State Beavers
Penn State Nittany Lions
Purdue Boilermakers
San Diego St. Aztecs
South Carolina Gamecocks
Syracuse Orange
Tennessee Volunteers
Texas Longhorns
UCLA Bruins
USC Trojans
USF Bulls
Utah Utes
Utah Utes
Virginia Tech Hokies
Washington Huskies
Washington St. Cougars
West Virginia Mountaineers
Wisconsin Badgers
Wyoming Cowboys

NHL None
Frozen Futures
Too Many Men on the Site
Anaheim Ducks
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Phoenix Coyotes
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Washington Capitals
Winnipeg Jets

SOCCER None
The American Pitch
Arsenal
Los Angeles Galaxy
Seattle Sounders
Tottenham Hotspur

ALL OTHER SPORTS/SITES None
FanSided.com (ALL SPORTS)
FanSided Radio (RADIO)
Beyond the Flag (NASCAR)
Cage Pages (MMA)
Doc Octagon (MMA)
Fantasy CPR (FANTASY)
Pro Golf Now (GOLF)
Spiked Up, Psyched Up (RUNNING SPORTS)
Sports Mashup (ALL SPORTS)
Stockcar Spin (NASCAR)
The Barstool (ENTERTAINMENT)
The Cruelest Sport (BOXING)
The Living Daylights (BOXING)

TOPICS (e.g. Fantasy Football, Lebron James), etc.