University of Illinois football head coach Lovie Smith sent out his condolences to the family of Michael McCaskey following his passing.
McCaskey, chairman of the Chicago Bears from 1983-2011, was the boss of Smith during his time in Chicago.
Smith sent out a tweet Sunday expressing his gratitude toward the former Bears chairman.
In the tweet, Smith shares how McCaskey offered him the head coaching job for the Chicago Bears five years after Smith had wrote him a letter thanking him for his words of wisdom. Smith also shares how McCaskey showed him that same letter shortly after Smith’s arrival to Chicago.
McCaskey provided Smith with his first head coaching opportunity.
Smith coached the Bears for nine years, leading them to an 81-63 record, three division titles, and a trip to the Super Bowl. Smith also received the AP NFL Coach of the Year award in 2005.
Smith tells NBC Sports how he was able to take away many lifetime relationships from the opportunity McCaskey provided him with.
“Lifetime relationships is what I formed. It was a blessing and a privilege,” Smith tells NBC Sports’ Alex Brown.
After his tenure in Chicago, Smith went on to be the head coach of the Buccaneers for two seasons, then was eventually named head coach of the Fighting Illini in 2016.