BEARS 101

While Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery was searching for a new head coach for the team, defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli wasn't even a candidate.

When he hired Marc Trestman as head coach, the move put Marinelli's fate with the team in jeopardy, so he took matters into his own hands by rejecting a one-year contract extension from the team.

I'm told Bears tried to keep Rod Marinelli with one year extension, which he of course declined. He was already signed through 2013.

— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) January 17, 2013

The Bears' defense was the highlight of the team this season. The defense put up plenty of points this year, and outscored every other defense in the league. Marinelli's work with the unit wasn't good enough for a head coaching position with the team after the firing of Lovie Smith, and he and Trestman weren't on the same page as one of Trestman's first announcements when being named head coach was that Lovie Smith wouldn't be returning.

Chicago finished 10-6 last season, and have been a defensive minded football team for as long as anyone can remember. The hiring of Trestman shows a new direction for the franchise as he's more geared toward the offensive side of the football.

As for Marinelli, rumors say he'll end up with the Dallas Cowboys as an assistant under their new defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, whom Marinelli worked with at Tampa Bay before leaving to take the head coaching position for the Detroit Lions.

Tags: Chicago, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Football, Lovie Smith, Marc Trestman, Monte Kiffin, NFL, Phil Emery, Rod Marinelli

Related Videos

Returning Soon!!!!

Related posts

• Chicago Bears Hire Marc Trestman to Replace Lovie Smith
• Chicago Bears: Will Lovie Smith Be Back If Team Fails to Make the Playoffs?