0 Comments

Audibles From the Long Snapper: Tice Remains, GMs Down to Two

| January 23rd, 2012

MIKE TICE WILL REMAIN OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Mike Tice was denied the ability to interview for the head coaching position of the Oakland Raiders as that organization’s newly hired GM Reggie McKenzie has decided to move on to his second round of coach interviews. Here are a pair of tweets from ESPN Chicago’s Michael C. Wright:

Tice told me: “I was disappointed I wasn’t able to complete the interview process.”

More Tice: “But let me say this: I’m very excited about the opportunity and the new position I have with the Bears.”

I never considered Tice a serious contender for the Oakland HC position but I’m certainly glad the he and Lovie Smith can now re-focus their attention on bringing in a coach to install/coordinate the passing game. (This all bodes well for a group of young offensive linemen who’ll now continue to hear one voice in their meetings.)

JASON LICHT & PHIL EMERY ARE FINAL TWO CANDIDATES FOR GM

I don’t know which would do a better job as Bears GM and quite frankly neither does anyone else. Both have been around the NFL bend and both have earned the right to take an organization’s lead. What follows are the basic bios for both men.

Jason Licht: Wikipedia

He played linebacker for the University of Nebraska football team as a freshman in 1989 and offensive guard in 1991 before transferring to Nebraska Wesleyan University, where he played defensive tackle from 1992 to 1993. In 1995, Licht was hired by then-Miami Dolphins scout Tom Heckert as a scouting assistant before serving as the Dolphins’ offensive assistant/quality control coach in 1996. He then spent the 1997 season working for the college scouting agency National Football Scouting and the 1998 season in the Carolina Panthers‘ scouting department. From 1999 through 2000, Licht served as a college scout for the Patriots before being promoted to national scout for the 2001. He then was promoted to assistant director of player personnel in 2002, a position he held for one season before re-joining Heckert, then the Philadelphia Eagles‘ vice president of player personnel, in 2003 as the Eagles’ assistant director of player personnel.[1]

Upon Heckert’s promotion to general manager in 2006, Licht was elevated to vice president of player personnel, but was fired by the team in May 2008.[2] In June 2008, Licht was hired by the Arizona Cardinals as a personnel executive.[3] He left the Cardinals and returned to the Patriots as their director of pro personnel in February 2009.

Phil Emery: Kansas City Chiefs Website

A 31-year football veteran, Phil Emery enters his 14th NFL campaign and his third as the Chiefs Director of College Scouting. He previously served in the same capacity for Atlanta from 2004-08 before working as a regional scout for Atlanta leading up to the 2009 draft. Emery was an area scout for Chicago (’98-04).

The Garden City, Michigan native served as the Director of Strength and Conditioning Services and as an Associate Professor at the U.S. Naval Academy from ’91-98. He was responsible for the development, administration and supervision of all strength and conditioning activities for 4,000 Midshipmen. In ’96, his program helped the football team to its first winning season in 15 years.

Emery joined the Naval Academy after serving as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Tennessee (’87-91). Prior to joining the Volunteers, he served as the defensive line and strength and conditioning coach at Saginaw Valley State (’85-87). He also coached the defensive line at Georgetown College (’84-85) after serving as the offensive line and strength and conditioning coach at Western New Mexico (’82-84). Emery began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan (’81-82) after serving as a student assistant at Wayne State.

Education: Western New Mexico (M.A.T. ’83), Wayne State (B.S. ’81). Family: Wife – Beth; Child – April.

BEARS WILL NOT RETURN TO LONDON IN 2012

The only game on the NFL’s 2012 schedule to be announced thus far is the London game as New England will play at St. Louis on October 28. St. Louis has also signed a deal to play three consecutive home games in London starting next year, fueling speculation of their franchise being top of the list for an eventual move to the land of bad teeth and worse relations with the Irish.