Bears Name Former TU Tight Ends Coach As Defensive Coordinator

Wednesday, February 21st 2007, 5:53 am

By: News On 6

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) _ The Chicago Bears promote Bob Babich from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator Tuesday, one day after the team announced it would not retain Ron Rivera.

Babich, in his fourth year with the Bears, also coached with Bears head coach Lovie Smith in Saint Louis and at the University of Tulsa.

He was the Rams' linebackers coach when Smith was defensive coordinator. At Tulsa, he coached the tight ends while Smith worked with linebackers.

Babich recalls their days at TU as, quote, ``so long ago'' and said he and Smith were ``just young coaches trying to come up through the ranks.''

Babich says he and Smith stayed in contact through the years but had never talked about being on the same staff with one of them being the head coach and the other a coordinator.