Bears to hire Richard Smith as linebackers coach

Veteran linebackers coach Richard Smith is headed to Chicago.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports on Tuesday that the Bears will hire Smith. One of Smith's many previous stops was with the Broncos in 2011 when current Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had the same job in Denver.

Smith spent the last three seasons with the Colts and coached the linebackers with the Raiders and Chargers over the previous five seasons. He has also had stints as the defensive coordinator for the Falcons, Texans, and Dolphins and worked as a special teams coach over three-plus decades as an NFL assistant.

The Bears have added a number of experienced coaches in addition to Smith and they should provide a great deal of support for the first-year head coach.