Bears nix Vikings' request to interview Hoke

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The Minnesota Vikings, whove taken the occasional Devin Aromashodu and Bernard Berrian out of Chicago, wont get the chance yet to take away one of the Bears hands.

The Bears have nixed a Vikings request to talk with defensive backs coach Jon Hoke about their defensive coordinator post, as the Tribune first reported. That job came open when the team removed Fred Pagac, a tight end for the Bears in 1974, from that job this week. Pagac, as Bob Babich did with the Bears, could be shifted from coordinator to linebackers coach.

The bump there is that Mike Singletary is the current LBs coach for the Vikings, who did not distinguish themselves in many defensive areas this season outside of Jared Allens pass rushing.

Hoke is still under contract with the Bears, who are under no obligation under league rules to give permission. And since the job is not for a head-coaching spot, the permission isnt there automatically.

That was the situation last year when the Bears turned down a request from the Tennessee Titans to interview Mike Tice to be their offensive coordinator. Tice, who was a strong choice of then-GM Jerry Angelo initially, was the Bears first option at offensive coordinator after Mike Martz, which they exercised after this season.

Hoke was a candidate for the Philadelphia Eagles D-coordinator job last offseason. He did not get the job but he did get a two-year contract from the Bears.

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