Every week, like Clockwork Orange, the words “Rex Grossman is our quarterback” echo through Halas Hall and onto the radio waves to Bears fans across Chicagoland. It was 2006 and, like always, the Bears were having quarterback problems as nothing has changed there since. Those words Lovie Smith uttered every week , “Rex Grossman is our quarterback.” With Grossman you never knew what you would get. Good Rex and three touchdown passes or Bad Rex with three interceptions. Sure the Bears went to the Superbowl. It was a loss by Peyton Manning and the Colts. Lovie Smith as a head coach his defense was awesome. The quarterback position was a episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Lovie’s play calling as a head coach leaves scratches on your head from ripping your hair out on just simple X’S and O’s during the game. Lovie Smith you loved, but also loved to hate him. Smith is back in the NFL as he was hired by the Houston Texans as defensive coordinator. The Texans had a very bad defense unit so Smith’s first job back will be difficult one. Somehow, Lovie will have to flip the script in Houston so they don’t have a bigger problem.

The pandemic year was not very kind to many. The Big Ten originally cancelled their football season and rescheduled it for Spring of 2021. Here’s where Lovie Smith comes in as the head coach of the University of Illinois. Then the Big Ten changes their mind and they actually have a fall season. As a coach prepping a team for a season here’s what happens. There’s a sudden stoppage and then suddenly you’re a go once again. The Fighting Illini put up another clunker for a season which resulted in Lovie Smith getting the ax. Santa Slayed by the Illini.

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Looks like a nice Christmas family film. Not sure Santa Lovie Smith would go on a deadly rampage for the Holidays. Perhaps Lovie would do in a Rex Grossman. If Spring football went as scheduled, maybe Lovie is still working the college scene. Lovie Smith was hired by the University of Illinois in 2016, a university in desperate need of someone turning this terrible football program around. Smith had a six year deal with the University of Illinois. People I know were originally excited with this move of Lovie coming to town. I know some people in Champaign, Illinois who purchased season tickets. My thought was Lovie Smith might get some good recruits because he was a NFL football coach. High school athletes seeing Lovie Smith as their ticket to the NFL. It did not work out that way after almost five seasons and 17-39 record Lovie was fired. Smith had one good season where the team made the Red Box Bowl which would probably be compared to the Beta or the VHS bowls of the past if they had such a thing. Before that Red Box Bowl game, Illinois upset Wisconsin that year which was Lovie Smith’s biggest win during his tenure. What haunted Smith was not getting the top of the line recruits. Smith’s teams did play hard which was never in doubt in his entire coaching career. Its his scheme that he stubborns on and will run it if they do not even have the personnel for it. Plus just the head coaching duties like clock management, when to go for it on 4th down or kick the field goal. Lovie Smith has always done badly matching wits versus the head coach across from him.

In the Superbowl in 2006 Devin Hester ran that opening kick off to put the Bears up first versus the Colts So many Bears fans were ecstatic for a brief moment. Many believing the team had a chance to win the Superbowl then quarterback Rex Grossman and the offense fumbling it away. Lovie Smith was coach of the year in 2005 for the Bears. Smith lead the Bears to three playoff appearances and since they fired him the Bears have not found anybody better than him which is sad. Smith had an 81-63 record for the Bears as head coach. It came down to personal decisions with Smith. Rex Grossman should have been replaced by Kyle Orton. The Bears should have ridden out Josh McCown over Jay Cutler one year who was red hot late in the year. Lovie decided to bring back Jay Cutler who came off an injury late in that season resulting Bears missed the playoffs. Bears should have made the post season a few more times under Smith. Great starts bad endings did it to the Bears all the time during the Lovie years. Plus the Tampa two defense ran out and it’s welcome for Lovie who did not have the personnel to perfect that like he did. Once again matching wits versus other head coaches costs the Bears many wins. Smith was fired by the Bears. Then he came back as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where in two season he was unsuccessful with an 8-24 record and was once again fired.

The new head coach of the Texans David Culley an offensive mind from Baltimore sees what I see. Lovie Smith can be very good at being the defensive Coordinator. It was Lovie Smith’s work in St. Louis and Tampa Bay as a coordinator which got him his first head coaching gig. In 2001 Lovie Smith was hired by the Rams who were in St. Louis at the time. Lovie took that unit from the bottom of the scrap pile to the top in one season. Taking out head coach duties and anything that has to deal with the offense Lovie Smith will thrive in Houston. Houston has Deshaun Watson so the quarterback position is set unless the Texans trade him. Which it would be the Luck of Lovie to suddenly see Watson traded as dark clouds follow him at the quarterback position. Then what is funny is Josh McCown was interviewed for the head coaching job in Houston. David Culley got the nod. Josh McCown may be the quarterback’s coach for the Texans and reunite with his former head coach Lovie Smith and they can talk about those great Cutler moments in Chicago they had. If the game of football did not have the quarterback position, Lovie would love that and be happy to get off the bus running.