Bears Linebackers Coach Richard Smith Will Miss the Seahawks Game for Health Reasons; Kevin Koch Steps In Monday Night
The team announced Sunday that Smith will not travel to Seattle. Assistant linebackers coach Kevin Koch will handle the position group against the Seahawks.
The Bears will coach Monday night's game in Seattle one man short. The team announced Sunday that linebackers coach Richard Smith will not travel with the team and will not coach against the Seahawks for health reasons.
Assistant linebackers coach Kevin Koch will serve as Smith's replacement and handle all linebackers coach responsibilities for the game, the team said. The announcement gave no further detail on Smith's condition, and none is being reported here beyond the team's own wording.
Smith, who turned 71 last month, is in his second season as Chicago's linebackers coach. He was hired in January 2025 as part of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's staff, bringing decades of NFL experience that includes defensive coordinator stops with the Dolphins, Falcons and Texans. His son Travis previously served as the Bears' defensive line coach.
Koch is also in his second season as the assistant linebackers coach. A Chicagoland product, he played quarterback at Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst before playing at the College of DuPage and Minnesota State-Moorhead.
The change lands on a position group in the middle of a demanding week: linebacker T.J. Edwards returns for Monday night while the defense absorbs newly acquired defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who is set for his Bears debut in Seattle.
