Travis Smith Joins Bears Staff

The Bears have hired longtime Raiders defensive assistant Travis Smith as their new defensive line coach.

Smith had been Raiders defensive quality control coach and assistant defensive line coach from 2018-21. The hiring, per an Ian Rapoport report for NFL Network, reunites Smith with Khalil Mack. Smith had coached Mack as the Raiders outside linebackers coach in 2017.

Bruce Irvin was another outside linebacker Smith worked with on that Raiders team and he was on the Bears roster last year, but is scheduled to be a free agent this year.

Smith also was a defensive assistant and outside linebackers coach for the Raiders and began coaching there in 2012.

The hiring gives the Bears a more experienced NFL assistant than they had with Chris Rumph last year. Rumph had only been in the NFL one season before coming to Chicago, although he had been coaching in college since 1997.

Smith's last project as an assistant on the defensive line was working with defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell. Crosby led the Raiders with 10 sacks last season as they made the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

New Bears DLine coach Travis Smith assisted Rod Marinelli last year in Vegas. IMO Rod is the best in the business. Gotta figure Rod highly recommended Smith to Matt Eberflus. Others who have worked under Rod like Eric Washington have become great DL coaches
— Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) February 8, 2022

The hiring came on the heels of Monday's hiring of Austin King as assistant offensive line coach. King, 40, is a former NFL center for the Falcons from 2004-06 and was Raiders offensive quality control coach in 2020 and tight ends coach in 2021. King takes on the job Donovan Raiola had for the Bears under Juan Castillo last year. Raiola left late last season to become offensive line coach at Nebraska.

With those hirings, the only position coach yet unnamed is running backs coach, a position Michael Pitre held last year. Pitre has been hire for 2022 by the Atlanta Falcons.

Bears Coaching Staff

Head coach: Matt Eberflus

Defensive coordinator: Alan Williams

Offensive coordinator: Luke Getsy

Special Teams coordinator: Richard Hightower

Quarterbacks coach: Andrew Janocko

Wide Receivers coach: Tyke Tolbert

Offensive Line coach: Chris Morgan

Assistant Offensive Line coach: Austin King

Linebackers coach: Dave Borgonzi

Defensive Backs coach: James Rowe

Assistant Defensive Backs coach: David Overstreet II

Defensive Line coach: Travis Smith

Tight Ends coach: Jim Dray

Running Backs coach: ?

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven