With good friend Lovie Smith out as the head coach of the Chicago Bears it was only a matter of time before defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli followed him out the door. Marinelli will not return to the Bears in 2013 according to WSCR Chicago. Marinelli had one year left on his contract.
New Bears head coach Marc Trestman had been rumored to want Marinelli to remain with the Bears. The Bears were a top-five defense last season and ranked at or near the top at nearly every defensive statistic. Secondary coach Jon Hoke could be considered as a replacement for Marinelli.
There are still a few openings around the NFL for defensive coordinator jobs. The Dallas Cowboys have also expressed interest in brining Marinelli in to serve under their new defenive coordinator Monte Kiffin. Marinelli worked under Kiffin during the coaching days of Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden.
