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Sources: Smith stays, Turner goes
By: espn.comPosted On: 01/05/2010 5:17 P
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Lovie Smith is expected to be retained as coach of the Chicago Bears, a league source tells ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Lovie Smith is expected to be retained as coach of the Chicago Bears, a league source tells ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
The announcement is expected to come at a 3 p.m. ET news conference Tuesday.
But that doesn't mean the Bears are standing pat. League sources tell ESPNChicago.com that offensive coordinator Ron Turner and tight ends coach Rob Boras have been fired.
The Bears had high hopes for 2009 after trading for quarterback Jay Cutler, but finished 7-9. Since going to Super Bowl XLI, where they lost to the Indianapolis Colts, the Bears are 23-25 and have missed the playoffs three straight seasons.
The Bears are 52-44 under Smith in the regular season and 2-2 in playoff games.
The Bears assistant coaches all went home at noon on Monday and were told to come back Tuesday morning, Schefter reported. Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo were meeting Monday evening, and Angelo was expected to inform Smith that he needs to make changes to his coaching staff.
Those changes began Tuesday, as the Chicago Tribune first reported that the Bears fired Turner.
Boras oversaw the team's tight ends starting in 2004, and in 2008 Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen combined for 95 catches, a franchise record for the position.
On Monday at Halas Hall, players expressed support for their head coach.
"I know that across the locker room that we think that he should be here," linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer said after a team meeting with Smith. "I'm under the impression that he will be. I certainly hope he will be. And that's the way he talked to us today."
Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said he is confident Smith and his staff can get the Chicago Bears back to the Super Bowl.
"In this league, any coach can do it," Ogunleye said, adding that a coach needs a little bit of luck and the right players playing well. "At the end of the day, it comes on us as the players. We just weren't consistent enough."
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