With LaVell Edwards announcing that he will retire at the end of the season after 29 years as the school's head coach, Crowton is an obvious candidate to replace him.

Gary Crowton (center) earned his reputation when his Louisiana Tech squad hung tough with Nebraska in 1998 before losing 54-27.(AP)

Passing coach, passing school. Utah native, Utah school. Mormon man, Mormon school that wants a coach who shares its faith.

Oh, and BYU's athletic director, Val Hale, was a receiver on Crowton's high school team in Orem, Utah. Crowton was the quarterback.

Previously a career college coach, Crowton, 43, came to Chicago before last season and installed a spread offense that was derided by Kansas City coach Gunther Cunningham as "razzle dazzle." But the Bears finished third in the NFL in passing yards and eighth in total yards. Three quarterbacks started, all of whom won games for a 6-10 team.

The Bears were, however, ineffective in the red zone and only 25th in the league in scoring.

Crowton, who was interviewed for New England's head coaching position in January, wasn't eager to discuss BYU as he walked off the practice field Monday. He has a second-year quarterback in Cade McNown and a season opener less than two weeks away.

But he is realistic enough to know his name would come up regarding BYU.

"I thought it might, but there's probably a bunch of other guys, too," Crowton said. "I don't want it to be a distraction in any way. First of all, I think we have something good going here. Second, I don't want it to be a distraction for LaVell Edwards. He's still coaching the rest of the season.

"I haven't been contacted by them at this point, and I really don't want to be at this point. We'll go through our season and let them go through their season, and I'll keep my options open. But I'm trying not to worry about it."

Crowton was a graduate assistant coach at BYU under Edwards in 1982, working with quarterbacks coach Mike Holmgren.

"I've watched him develop that program," Crowton said of Edwards. "I know what it took because my grandfather was on that staff earlier. He was fired, actually, and reassigned as a baseball coach and golf coach. So I know the problems they've had there and the things (Edwards) overcame with a positive attitude and just a good, strong work ethic. I saw him turn that thing around, growing up watching them."

After living the nomadic life of a college assistant coach, Crowton became head coach at Louisiana Tech and gained national notoriety in 1998 in a game at Nebraska. His team, a 35-point underdog, hung with the Cornhuskers for four quarters before losing 54-27. Louisiana Tech receiver Troy Edwards set an NCAA record with 405 receiving yards. The Bulldogs had 569 yards of total offense.

Crowton was hired the following season by new Bears coach Dick Jauron, doing well enough in one season to earn the interview for New England's head coaching job. Bill Belichick landed the job, but Patriots owner Bob Kraft was impressed with Crowton.

"He'll make somebody a heck of a head coach," Kraft said.

In the NFL or NCAA?

In February, Crowton told the Chicago Sun-Times, "I don't want to go back to college, but I want a little security because this is a tough business and I have a big family."

Crowton, the father of six, including a daughter born in April, has a big fan in Bears receiver Marcus Robinson. In one season under Crowton, Robinson went from a player who wasn't certain about making the team to a potential Pro Bowl player and recipient of a huge new contract.

"Most NFL coaches try to go up instead of down, so I don't think he'll go to a college level," Robinson said.

Jauron isn't so sure.

"The thing that I know, and I certainly would never speak for Gary, is that he'll make a decision based on what he thinks is best for his family and for him -- in that order," Jauron said. "If he thought the best opportunity for his family and their growth and security was at a college, I don't think it would make a lot of difference where it was."

Jauron said he doesn't mind the talk about an assistant coach's future two weeks before the first game. He'd love to see his assistants do well enough to move up. First, though, there is the business of the 2000 season.

"We need to win," Jauron said. "We need to win here in Chicago, and if we win, then eventually we'll lose most of them or all of them. That's OK. That's what you want. It means you're successful."