Ex-Lions coach Marinelli hired as Bears assistant

Former Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli will forever be known as the man at the helm of the only 0-16 team in NFL history.  In all fairness, it wasn’t really his fault—he did the best he could with the talent on hand following the abysmal personnel decisions of Matt Millen.  Marinelli was fired at the end of this season noting wryly that “you can’t go 0-16 and expect to keep your job”, but found himself in demand for his skills as a defensive coach.  On Saturday, he accepted a position as defensive line coach of the Chicago Bears, choosing them over similar offers from the Seahawks and Texans.

Marinelli went 10-38 in three years with the Lions, but prior to his first head coaching gig was the defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Bucs for much of the previous decade. During his tenure, the Bucs defensive front was arguably the most feared in the NFL and compiled 328.5 sacks—the most in the league during that timeframe.  He’ll be charged with restoring the same quality to the defensive line in Chicago, which has become notably porous in recent years and a far cry from “The Monsters of the Midway”.

Several teams were interested in Marinelli as a defensive coordinator, but he wanted to accept a position as defensive line coach which is his specialty and passion.  Chicago was amiable to this arrangement, and was even more attractive due to his previous working experience and friendship with Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith.  The two men worked together in Tampa Bay and have remained close ever since.

Ultimately, it was his close relationship with Smith that proved the deciding factor in his decision to work for the Bears.  Marinelli ruled out the Seattle Seahawks late last week and finally made his decision to choose the Bears over the Texans early Saturday.