LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Lovie Smith got a contract extension and a raise, nearly a month after a Super Bowl appearance and a week after his agent said negotiations were so stalled the Chicago Bears coach would probably leave after the 2007 season.
|
After meeting Wednesday with team president Ted Phillips, Smith signed a four-year contract extension through 2011. The deal was announced by the team Wednesday night as was an extension through 2013 for general manager Jerry Angelo.
The lowest-paid coach in the NFL last season at $1.35 million when he led the Bears to the Super Bowl, Smith's deal will average about $4.7 million per season over five years.
Smith will about make $22 million in new money and the total value of the five years is $23.45 million, the Chicago Tribune reported. Smith was scheduled to make $1.45 million this season in the final year of his initial four-year contract.
Despite the dire predictions of his agent Frank Bauer, Smith said last week during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis that he expected to get a new contract.
"Sometimes, with a contract, it takes time," Smith said. "But I'm confident we'll get it done."
The team will hold a news conference Thursday, and had no further comment Wednesday night.
Smith, the 2005 NFL coach of the year, led the Bears to a 15-4 record and their first NFC championship in more than two decades last season before they lost 29-17 to Indianapolis in the Super Bowl.
"We're not close, we're not encouraged and based on where talks have gone recently, Lovie will be a free agent after next season," Bauer said last week. "It would take an unforeseen breakthrough for this to get done. And we are being more than reasonable in the market."
|
|
| Chicago signs coach Lovie Smith to a contract extension through the 2011 season. (Getty Images) |
Angelo, initially hired on June 12, 2001, is credited with stocking the Bears with a mix of veterans and young players. Chicago returned 22 players who started at some point last season, and through the draft added key rookies such as defensive end Mark Anderson, who had 12 sacks, and Devin Hester, who set an NFL record with six kick returns for touchdowns.
Angelo previously had his contract extended through 2008 on Dec. 29, 2003, the day Dick Jauron was fired as Bears coach.
Already this offseason, the Bears decided not to give a new contract to defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who had interviewed for eight head coaching vacancies the last two years. Rivera was hired by the Chargers to be their linebackers coach.
Quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson left to accept the same position in Dallas and the Bears have announced defensive line coach Don Johnson and assistant offensive line coach Harold Goodwin would not return.
Smith promoted Bob Babich from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator and hired Hardy Nickerson to coach linebackers and Brick Haley to coach the defensive line.
Chicago also designated Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs as its franchise player.
liquidn8 
