The man once entrusted by the Bears with a virtually impossible task has died.
Former Bears defensive coordinator and Cardinals head coach Vince Tobin died Monday at the age of 79. The Associated Press reported Tobin died at his Arizona home.
Tobin was hired as Bears defensive coordinator in 1986, the year after the fabled Bears 1985 defense ran roughshod over the NFL to win Super Bowl XX. The impossible task they gave him: replacing defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan.
Tobin performed the task admirably, as the Bears finished first in yards allowed and points allowed, second in rushing defense and in pass defense. Ryan's 1985 defense had also been No. 1 in scoring and yards allowed but No. 3 against the pass and first against the run.
In the playoffs, though, the Bears offense broke down under interum QB Doug Flutie and the defense couldn't stop Jay Schroeder in a 27-13 first-round playoff loss. It was the most points they'd given up since the season opener.
Tobin, the brother of former Bears personnel boss Bill Tobin, remained on the staff as defensive coordinator for the remainder of Ditka's tenure as coach, through the 1992 season.
The Bears defense remained strong through the 1991 season, and in 1987 and 1988 finished first against the run. They were fourth in points allowed in 1987 and second in yards. In 1988 they were first in scoring defense and second in yards allowed.
Tobin followed Ryan again at another point. He became head coach of the Cardinals in 1996 after Ryan was fired. He had only one winning season in the 4 1/2 years he was head coach, and a 28-43 regular-season record overall, but in 1998 he coached the Cardinals to a 9-7 mark and also their first playoff win in 51 years, a 20-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round. They went 6-10 the next season and in 2000 he was fired following a 2-5 start.
During his run as Bears defensive coordinator, Tobin actually had training to be a head coach because Mike Ditka suffered a heart attack and was away for a game against Tampa Bay. Tobin did the coaching the following week against Washington in a win, although Ditka was given permission to return to the sideline that week as a very interested "casual" observer.
Tobin had been out of football in 1993 following his firing from the Bears, and in 1994 he was hired for a two-year stint as defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts when Bill Tobin was Colts defensive coordinator. He was part of the Colts' miracle run of 1995 when Jim Harbaugh became known as "Captain Comeback" and led Indianapolis within four points of winning the AFC championship.
Prior to coming to Chicago, Tobin had been defensive coordinator for Missouri, Boston College and also the USFL's Philadelpha and Baltimore Stars.
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