Chicago Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub will interview with the Miami Dolphins for their vacant head-coaching position, a team source told the Tribune on Monday.
Bears coach Lovie Smith said he is hopeful of retaining Toub but acknowledged that Toub has aspirations of moving up the ranks in the NFL. A source said the Dolphins were granted permission to interview Toub, 49, who has been the Bears' special teams coordinator under Smith for eight seasons.
Toub's unit has been ranked No. 1 in the league twice in composite special-teams rankings designed by Dallas Morning News sports writer Rick Gosselin. The Bears finished fourth last season and were third going into Week 17 this season.
“Dave has been here every day that I've been here,” Smith said at his end-of-season news conference Monday afternoon. “So, I think it's pretty safe to say that I kind of like what he does and he likes it around here. But in the same sense I know that Dave has goals too that he would like to get accomplished. And every coach on our staff, especially coaches who have been on the staff for eight years, you would like to see them take another step. I know one of the things Dave would like to do is someday be a head football coach and hopefully he has that opportunity some day.”
Toub was mentioned as a possible candidate for the Jacksonville Jaguars head job last week by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He could also draw interest from the St. Louis Rams because he has ties to the University of Missouri like owner Stan Kroenke, who assumed full control of the franchise this past offseason.
Toub could also potentially leave the Bears for another special teams position because he is coming out of contract. The Bears have exclusive negotiating rights with him for the next 15 days, but teams must grant permission for assistants to interview for head jobs.
The Dolphins fired coach Tony Sparano during the season. Todd Bowles finished as the interim head coach and he is expected to receive consideration for the permanent position.
Yeah, when you are good at your job, other companies tend to notice. This day was inevitable, he deserves to be able to advance his career. If he does go, he will go down as perhaps THE best ST Coach in Bears history, and his name should carry the same reverence as Ditka's did for what Toub was able to accomplish. Not only for simply developing one of the best ST's in the league, but for showing the league the actual importance of Special Teams, the oft-forgotten step child to Offense and Defense.
While Taub is probably a worthy candidate for a HC job,
he couldn't be leaving at a better time professionally.
This team is going nowhere for the forseeable future,
the suckfest will continue until there is turnover in the front office.
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