Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera will interview Wednesday in Chicago with executives of the Cardinals for the head-coaching job left vacant when Dennis Green was fired.
It has not been a stable time for head coaches, particularly those hired with Lovie Smith in 2004. In addition to Green, the Falcons dumped Jim Mora, the University of Alabama is throwing money to lure Nick Saban away from the Dolphins and Tom Coughlin is considered one bad loss away from being ousted by the Giants.
Smith will be working to help Rivera become the first of his assistants to rise to head coach.
“I’m proud to be a part of Tony Dungy’s and Mike Martz’s tree,” Smith said. “That would definitely be a sense of pride for me for one of the guys on our staff to become a head coach.
“I have the same approach I’ve taken every year I’ve been here. I’m a head coach of the Chicago Bears right now based on my head coach at the time, Mike Martz, doing everything he possibly could to help me get the job. I’ll do the same thing for Ron Rivera and I think he’ll be an excellent head football coach in the NFL.”