Bears coach Lovie Smith made $1.35 million last year and will make $1.45 million this year, and he's negotiating a contract extension. Smith's agent says he's fed up with the team low-balling his client, and he expects Smith to become a free agent and test the market in 2008. What does that market look like? It looks like Smith is ridiculously underpaid, and he'll find multiple teams willing to pay him much, much more than the Bears pay him.There are 32 head coaches in the NFL, and the other 31 make more than Smith. Obviously, someone has to be the lowest-paid, but it's odd, to say the least, for that someone to be a guy who took over a team that had gone 0-1 in the playoffs in the 10 years before he arrived and got them to the Super Bowl in his third season.
It's not just NFL head coaches making more than Smith. Many college coaches make more than Smith as well. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Alabama's Nick Saban and USC's Pete Carroll are among the college coaches making more than twice as much as Smith makes.
And it's more than just that. Several assistants in the NFL make more than Smith. The Dolphins gave defensive coordinator Dom Capers a three-year, $8 million deal. The Redskins have two assistants, Gregg Williams and Al Saunders, in the $2 million-a-year club. Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin makes $1.7 million a year.
Bottom line: There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 to 80 people in the football coaching profession who make more than Smith. That will change soon. If the Bears are smart, they'll give him a raise now rather than letting another team give him a raise later.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-22-2007 @ 2:24PM
Carl D. Dillard said...
Okay, I will be first. This is a no brainer and a proven Bears gainer. The standards are set now let them be met. Bears, do not take kindness for weakness. If you do not do it someone else will.
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2-22-2007 @ 5:27PM
Draven said...
If Lovie Smith thought he was being low-balled then
why did he sign that 4-year contract 3 years ago. They haven't changed the dollar values of the contract in the last year - he knew what he was going to make in year 4 of the contract when he signed.
In my opinion, I think the reason he's upset is quite simple. Three years ago he was just happy to be given the opportunity to coach. Now that he has had success - he believes his contract is no longer good enough.
What would have happened if he fell flat on his face, and the Bears only won 5 games over the last 3 years. I'm certain he would be quite upset if the Bears wanted to redo the contract to a lower dollar amount.
I'm tired of sporting figures whining about their contracts. The fact of the matter is this, he signed a 4-year deal - honor the 4-year deal. Chicago does NOT have to redo his contract with one year left.
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2-22-2007 @ 5:37PM
Will Griffin said...
Carl. D. Dilliard you are slow in the head. He is negotiation a "contract extension" not his original contract. It is his next contract that we are talking about not this one. He was a new head coach on the expiring deal and is a Super Bowl coach in his Contract Extension deal. If CHI doesn't pay him the $5MM plus then someone else well and Da Bears will be back in Da Basement.
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2-22-2007 @ 5:59PM
Elmer J Fuddpucker said...
Let the Bears do what they want. After all they're the Bears; they don't deserve a high quality coach.
Another team that recognizes talent will be willing to pay him what he's worth.
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2-22-2007 @ 7:47PM
lokey34 said...
Draven wake up and smell the coffee everybody expects a pay raise when they do well or in his case very well. Yes there is a contract but the bears can fire him at any time. So quite looking at the dollar amount because it is relative to what the jobs pays. Would you have the same harass words for a clerk getting paid 7.00 when the average is 12.00 and he took an old product and made it compete in the marketplace.
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2-23-2007 @ 12:59AM
George B Vieto said...
If the Chicago Bears don't pay Lovie Smith what his market value demands then Lovie will find another coaching job somewhere else and the owners of the Bears will have to find their replacement. This is getting very interesting.
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2-23-2007 @ 2:17AM
r d wilson said...
remember what dick butkus once said,"george halas throws nickels around like they're manhole covers." virginia mccaskey has been a tight wad ever since they put her picture on the $1 dollar bill.
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2-23-2007 @ 2:51AM
Colts Fan said...
They cannt even afford Cheerleaders...Lovie I think the Arizona Cardinals are in your future!!!
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2-23-2007 @ 6:40AM
Mike said...
The Bears will not have a repeat season next year. Rivera is gone since he was a threat to Lovie.
Babich is a puppet for Lovie.
Lovie is a control freak and his style of defense gets eaten up by teams with strong offensive lines that can protect a QB.
Briggs is pissed with his deal and I believe that you'll have trouble in river city (Defense) next year.
And then we have Gross Rexman.....what a joke
Let him go now and bring back Ditka and Buddy Ryan.
That would be interesting.............
And yes.......I'm a die hard Bears fan !!!!
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2-23-2007 @ 8:18AM
UAVShadow said...
Personally I'm disappointed in Lovie's actions. I don't like the low key, no comment, trust me I know best style of his, at all.
I don't like the bomb drop of the coaches or the timing for Rivera (I know he was hoping he would get a HC and avoid the issue but there could have been a private chat). I don't trust his apparent "buddy system" trying to insulate himself or his "coach for life" desire based on what has been done so far.
I don't like the implied seperation from the 85 Bears. As good at these Bears have been on occasion it is not a horse race to how our 85 team looked. It is also not a coaches game it is a players game and Lovie seems to not want to share much of the spotlight since he keeps his coaches quiet and out of the media and much the same with the players, which I really don't like.
I do respect Angelo and the scouting and the cap management and the way he seems to value solid players and players who fit the "TEAM" concept that football needs especially for the fans. I want to have some idea of who is playing for my team, not a swinging door approach. Spare me from the mouthy stars who effort is in talking big rather than playing big.
I say pay Lovie to sit on a bench in Big Sandy for a year while a Mike Ditka man like Rivera or Singletary or Frazier or ? coaches da Bears to da Bowl this year, with some panache and some excitment rather than the emotionless deappan lost in space, Lovie.
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2-23-2007 @ 12:15PM
Rod Davis said...
If I were Lovie Smith, I would let my accomplishments speak as to whether I get a raise. If the Bears don't get it right, then test the free market and 'f...k' the Bears!
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2-23-2007 @ 12:24PM
S.C.D said...
If the Bears don't pay Lovie what he's worth then they should be ashamed!!! They've paid more for far worse coaching! What a bunch of cheapskates...and yes, I'm also a "Die Hard" Bears fan!
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2-23-2007 @ 1:50PM
Brian said...
Either Lovie must assign a top flight sports psychologist to work with Rex ... or get a more consistent Quarterback ... not a great quarterback just someone reliable ... It's not whether or not Rex can play ... he can play .. it's whether or not he will ... and that makes play calling and everything else infinitely more difficult.
Make that part of his contract and then pay him what he's worth.
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2-23-2007 @ 10:58PM
Mitch Kopczyk said...
McKasky, McLoser! Mc Make me sick! Hey Virg your're no Mc Spring Mc Chic! Papa Bear? Papa John? Papa Savario? Get out of Chicago! you're so cheap, you squeak!
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2-24-2007 @ 6:54PM
John H. Holder said...
Can the Chicago Bears Organization present a rational and convincing reason as to why it refuses to do the right thing by compensating an outstanding coach for a job well done?
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