Bears hire Tim Holt as offensive line coach

[MSOADE54]

Bears hire Holt as offensive line coach

In the search for an offensive line coach, Lovie Smith was seeking a hungry individual who possessed excellent teaching skills, NFL experience and knowledge of the game.

After interviewing Tim Holt, Smith knew he had found his man. The 38-year-old, who spent the past three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was hired for the position on Wednesday.


Tim Holt

“He’s the perfect fit,” Smith told ChicagoBears.com. “He’s an impressive guy; a young coach coming up through the ranks. I think he’s going to bring something to the room. He’s exactly what we were looking for at that position.”
Holt will work closely with recently appointed offensive coordinator Mike Tice, who will continue to help tutor the line as he did the past two seasons as a position coach.

Holt joined the Buccaneers in 2009 as a coaching intern during OTAs, concentrating on tight ends before helping with the offensive line during training camp and the regular season.

After working as an offensive assistant in 2010, concentrating mostly on the line, he served as Tampa Bay’s assistant offensive line coach in 2011. Holt helped coach a Pro Bowler in each of those seasons in tackle Donald Penn (2010) and guard Davin Joseph (2011).

“He went to Tampa as an intern and did such a good job that they let him come back for training camp,” Smith said. “They then kept him around for the entire season. He was sleeping on couches down there just to work. He spent three years down there working his way up, doing it the right way.”

Prior to joining the Buccaneers, Holt spent 14 seasons (1995-2008) coaching collegiately, including 10 working with offensive linemen. He started coaching at his alma mater, Southern Connecticut State, in 1995, working two seasons as the tight ends/assistant offensive line coach. Holt played on the offensive line at the school for four seasons (1991-94) and was a three-year letter winner.


Holt held the same position at Lehigh (1997-98) and Cornell (1999) before taking on the responsibility of running backs coach at Cornell in 2000.

From 2001-03, he was the offensive line coach/offensive coordinator at American International before returning to his alma mater to coach the running backs for three seasons (2005-07).

Holt then served as offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Stonehill College in 2008.

[Crystallas]

"a hungry individual who possessed excellent teaching skills, NFL experience and knowledge of the game."

Good, he isn't an offensive genius.

[thedude33]

I think most offensive lines coaches are hungry.

[B18]

Is this guy decent or a step down from Tice? I dont recall TB having a good line

[omc1969]

Originally Posted by B18

Is this guy decent or a step down from Tice? I dont recall TB having a good line

He coached a top ten "O" line in TB and seems to be a good fit. I'm cool with the hire.

[B18]

Sounds good to me. Keep it up emery