CHICAGO -- Tennessee Titans quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Dowell Loggains is emerging as a candidate for a similar position with the Chicago Bears, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Loggains is being touted by Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, and Bears coach Lovie Smith has been making calls inquiring about the 31-year-old coach, according to the source.
While Tennessee might not let Loggains leave for a lateral move while he's under contract, Loggains would be interested in the move because he has a strong, personal relationship with Cutler. Cutler wanted Loggains for the position two years ago, after Pep Hamilton was fired, but former offensive coordinator Mike Martz brought in Shane Day. Martz and Day parted ways with the Bears on Tuesday.
Cutler never had a strong relationship with Day, and was often seen yelling at him on the sidelines.
With run-heavy Mike Tice taking over the offensive coordinator position, it would make sense to bring in a coach who has a good relationship with the team's franchise player. A source said Loggains wouldn't be afraid to challenge Cutler, which the quarterback welcomes.
But Tice, who plans do the play-calling during games, is pushing for Dirk Koetter, with whom he worked in Jacksonville. Koetter was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach with the Jaguars. With no head coach in Jacksonville, his status there is unresolved.
Loggains isn't a big name around the league, but he is highly respected in Tennessee. The former Arkansas quarterback just finished his second season as Titans quarterbacks coach, and his fourth with the team.
He was an administrative assistant with the team when Cutler was coming out of Vanderbilt, and pushed hard for the quarterback over Vince Young.
Working with Loggains this past season, Matt Hasselbeck completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 3,571 yards in his first season with the Titans. Tennessee finished 9-7 in Mike Munchak's first season as head coach.
According to a source in Tennessee, Loggains is highly regarded among the Titans coaching staff for his intelligence and ability to get along with players.
The source called Loggains a "great guy, very smart, an up-and-coming guy."
But he added that, "Munchak loves [Loggains]. I don't see him letting him out of his contract unless [it's] a play calling coordinator's job. No chance they will get Loggains as just the QB coach."
So it appears the Bears might have a better shot at landing Koetter, considering Jacksonville is under new ownership and searching for a new coach. Also, Koetter's contract expires in February.
A potential roadblock to landing Koetter is he'll likely be a hot commodity as an offensive coordinator. According to a source, if Mike Mularkey -- thought of as a leading candidate for the Jacksonville opening -- lands the Jaguars' job, the Falcons will go after Koetter as Mularkey's replacement.
Jon Greenberg is a reporter for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000. ESPNChicago.com's Michael C. Wright contributed to this report.