Bears promote Tice to OC: Right call?

Well that didn’t take very long. After all of three days, Lovie Smith has found his next offensive coordinator. The big-time hire? Mike “Boat Show” Tice. (I would have also accepted “Ticket Scalper.” I hinted at Tice’s eventual hiring on Tuesday when I addressed the firing of Jerry Angelo and Mike Martz, but I suppose I should break down this “hire,” yes?

Bears promote Offensive Line Coach Mike Tice to Offensive Coordinator

Oh Mikey Tice. A man of football if there ever was one. His stint as head coach in Minnesota from ’02 to ’06 was best remembered for scandals, most notably his scalping of Super Bowl tickets. As a play-caller, Tice is all about smacking people around on the ground. His tenure in Jacksonville provides evidence to that, as his work with the o-line and offense gave the Jags one of the best running games in the league during his tenure. That means he'll know the value of a premiere runner like Matt Forte. He does tend to favor the downfield throws, shying away from the short routes that are more of the West Coast variety. This will utilize Jay's best asset: his arm.

Probably not the right call, but it’s clearly the best option for Lovie Smith if he wants to keep his job after next season. Tice is already on the staff, knows all the players and their talents and can make adjustments and tweaks to the offense that’s already in place. Lovie will bring in a “passing coordinator” and new QB coach in all likelihood to ensure that the Bears are not an entirely one dimensional team. While I certainly think this decision was made too quickly, I am by no means shocked by the result. This job was Tice’s to lose as long he didn’t completely botch in interview. Apparently he didn’t, so ipso facto, he got the job.

Next up for the Bears? Hiring a GM.