Lovie Smith Interested In Returning To NFL As Defensive Coordinator

Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that former Bears HC Lovie Smith, who was just relieved of his duties at the University of Illinois, could potentially return as a defensive coordinator.

Garafolo says he knows there will be interest from NFL teams in Smith as a defensive coordinator and suggests pairing Smith with a younger head coach much like the Rams did with Sean McVay and Wade Phillips.

Another possibility for Smith tossed out by Garafolo would be a team like the Saints, who could lose DC Dennis Allen to a head coaching job in the coming weeks. 

Smith, 62, began his coaching career back in 1980. He worked for a number of colleges before the Buccaneers hired him as their linebackers coach in 1996.

Smith was eventually hired as the Rams’ defensive coordinator before taking the Bears’ coaching job in 2004. He spent nine years in Chicago before the Buccaneers hired him in 2014.

After just two seasons with the Bucs, Smith was fired and eventually hired as the head coach at Illinois.

During his NFL coaching career, Smith led the Bears and Buccaneers to a record of 89-87 (50.6 percent), which includes three playoff appearances and a trip to the Super Bowl in 2006.

At Illinois, Smith’s teams produced a record of 17-39.