Bears ink Smith to new four-year coaching deal

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2007

CHICAGO (AFP) — Lovie Smith, who guided the Chicago Bears into the Super Bowl despite being the National Football League's lowest-paid coach, signed a new four-year contract with the club here Thursday.

Smith's deal through 2011, worth a reported 22 million dollars, was a shorter-term pact than the six-year extension through 2013 given Bears general manager Jerry Angelo by team president Ted Phillips.

In his third year as coach, Smith masterminded the Bears to their first Super Bowl appearance in 21 years, although they lost to the Indianapolis Colts 29-17 in last month's American football championship game.

Smith, whose 1.45 million dollars for 2006 was an NFL low, was the first black coach to guide a team to the Super Bowl, although his friend Tony Dungy...