The Chicago Bears fired coach Lovie Smith on Monday, the team announced.

General manager Phil Emery will hold a news conference to discuss the coaching change on Tuesday morning.

The Bears already are targeting several candidates to replace Smith.

Chicago has asked for and received permission to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy for its head coaching vacancy, a source told ESPN. McCoy will interview this weekend.

Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong also will be interviewed by the Bears, a source told ESPNChicago.com. Armstrong was on the Bears staff from 1997-2000 while Emery was a scout for the Bears from 1998-2004. They also overlapped with the Falcons.

And the Bears have asked for and received permission to interview Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan this week, the team confirmed.

Smith, meanwhile, already has been contacted by four teams interested in having him interview for a head coaching position, a source told ESPN. No interviews are being set up at the moment because most teams are talking to assistants who are available and coaches who are involved with the bye week of the playoffs. Those teams are expected to contact Smith later to set up formal interviews, the source said.

The Bears missed the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons despite starting this season 7-1.

The Bears finished 10-6 but were denied a playoff spot when the Vikings beat the Packers on Sunday.

As reports of Smith's ouster started to surface on Twitter, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was doing "The Jay Cutler Show" on ESPN 1000 and had to leave early.

"I think it's going to be a sad day at Halas Hall," Cutler said. "I have a lot of respect for the guy. He's made friends with a lot of the players. He's a players' coach. I think right now I'm a little surprised, a little sad. Wish I could have done more offensively to help him out."