Lovie finally gets his deal

[dbair1967]

Bears | L. Smith receives five-year deal
Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:51:34 -0800

Jay Glazer, of FOXSports.com, reports Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith has agreed to a new five-year contract with the team. The new deal gives Smith a major raise in pay, but exact terms were not disclosed. The team is expected to announce the deal Thursday, March 1.

 

[Crown Royal]

Good. He was getting jobbed.

 

[Coakleys Dad]

he was gettin jerked... im happy 4 him

 

[WoodysGirl]

POSTED 9:20 p.m. EST, February 28, 2007

BEARS SHOW SMITH SOME LOVIE

Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that the Chicago Bears have signed coach Lovie Smith to a four-year extension, through 2011.

Per Glazer, the deal is worth $22.5 million over four years, which works out to an average of $5.5 million per year. It's unclear whether and to what extent Smith received a raise over his $1.45 million salary for 2007.

We'd previously heard that the Bears offered Smith less than $3.2 million per year. Peter King recently mentioned in his MMQB column that the number was in the neighborhood of $3.5 million.

A year ago, Smith's agent declared that the two sides were at impasse. Obviously, something happened to break the impasse. With rampant rumors of veteran players who were committed to scaring off potential free agents, perhaps the team realized that it was time to offer Smith fair value.

With the deal set to be formally announced on the eve of the launch of the free-agency period, the timing is, at a minimum, one hell of a coincidence.

 

[zrinkill]

Finally that cheap franchise did something ..... bout time.

(be funny as heck if that team falls apart next year )

 

[big dog cowboy]

I'm not surprised with the timing of this. With free agency starting the last thing you want is a lame duck HC. It shouldn't have taken this long however. If something like that situation happened in Dallas Jerry Jones would be getting his chestnuts roasted every day big time.

 

[DallasEast]

"Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that the Chicago Bears have signed coach Lovie Smith to a four-year extension, through 2011.

Per Glazer, the deal is worth $22.5 million over four years, which works out to an average of $5.5 million per year. It's unclear whether and to what extent Smith received a raise over his $1.45 million salary for 2007."

So, the details of Smith's contract covers 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. I wonder why the terms for 2007 aren't known?