Butch Davis Speaks
February 16th, 2012
The Bucs’ new super assistant in chief, Butch Davis, looked very presidential today at One Buc Palace as he sported a navy suit, red tie and spewed major love for Bucs head coach Greg Schiano.
Here are key highlights:
*Davis called Schiano “one of the best football coaches and the best men that I’ve ever had a chance to work with.” Davis explained that Schiano was someone “he hit it off naturally” with years ago at Miami.
*Before Schiano took the Bucs job he called Davis to ask him to join him.
*Davis said the University of North Carolina is “very comfortable” with his role and job with the Bucs. The inference was the school will not try to break its contract with him and withhold his severance pay. Davis said money concerns and a lack of interest in coaching palyers are not factors in his role with the Bucs. “That played absolutely no role,” Davis said. He said he can get a ton accomplished “without actually having to have the chalk in your hand.”
*Davis said he will not talk to players. … Later in the news conference he said he might talk to players that approach him about being a professional and encourage them. He said he won’t be “teaching and coaching and hands-on” with players.
*The primary piece of advice for Schiano? “Be yourself.”
*Davis was non-committal when asked how long he has committed to the Bucs.
*Davis said he expected to have some sort of gameday role “upstairs” but didn’t offer details. Strange to Joe, Davis said he didn’t know if he’d be allowed to have a headset on.
*On Mark Dominik, Davis said he is “unbelievably professional,” and he praised Dominik’s intelligence and communication skills, citing specifically how well he and Schiano are communicating.
*How do the Bucs look on film, Coach Davis? Davis said he’s only watched one hour of film so far. He offered no opinion on the Bucs other than heavy praise for Josh Freeman. Davis was clear that he will be evaluating the entire roster.
*Davis said he’ll “be in the room” when the Bucs interview dozens of players individually later this month at the NFL Scouting combine. Davis explained that he’s been stressing to Schiano about maximizing the 15 minutes allowed with potential draft picks there.
February 16th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
“Davis said he will not talk to players. … Later in the news conference he said he might talk to players that approach him about being a professional and encourage them. He said he won’t be “teaching and coaching and hands-on” with players.”
LOL! Wow. What a waste.
February 16th, 2012 at 7:13 pm
Let me clarify by saying that I don’t mind Butch being here but it’s disappointing that he won’t be doing what he does best.
February 16th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
Butch Davis has spoken and without teleprompters I might add!
February 16th, 2012 at 7:27 pm
‘Coaching’ implies hands on work with the players. Advising can go any number of ways. For instance, he can advise coach Schiano to implement a certain defensive adjustment at halftime or at any point during a game. He can advise concerning FA or on draft day. What he does in that capacity can have a far reaching effect without directly talking to the players. I hardly see this as being a waste and I don’t think Schiano or Dominik look at it as a waste either. Remember last year when Joe kept saying the Bucs should bring in an ‘advisor’ to look at the team and tell them how to make adjustments?? Well, we have that guy on board full time now. I like the move.
February 16th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
Ok, now I’m stoked !!
February 16th, 2012 at 7:45 pm
“he can advise coach Schiano to implement a certain defensive adjustment at halftime or at any point during a game.”
Butch said that he didn’t even know whether he could have a headset on or if he’d be allowed in the coaches box. Plus, the tenor of the presser suggested that he’s going to stay out of Schiano & the DC’s way for the most part. Guess we’ll see.
“He can advise concerning FA or on draft day.”
It’s a waste because Butch is a coach or coordinator, not a personnel guy (as he proved in Cleveland). This advisor role is beneath a guy like him. It’s like Emeril frying up frozen fish in the back of a Long John Silver’s.
February 16th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
@joe.. Last year you brought up more than once that Morris or Dominik needed to bring in an outside consultant to give another set of eyes to see what it is the Bucs need to do different or how than can improve the team. At least something to that effect. Davis is that guy.. His insight and experience in aiding Shiano will be priceless. My only question to him would be, assuming what Dominik said is true that they would have bought out his contract if he wanted to coach, why limit yourself in not being able to to get your hands dirty in showing the players what you knows best?
February 16th, 2012 at 8:14 pm
I think this guy is just saying all the right things that he has to say not to get in trouble with NC. Butch is a Undercover Coach all day long!!!! GO BUCS!!!
February 16th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
“It’s a waste because Butch is a coach or coordinator, not a personnel guy (as he proved in Cleveland).”
Seriously??!? You need to go back and look at the players this guy put into the NFL through Miami and UNC and you may rethink that statement. How could you possibly think this guy wouldn’t be a quality assett on draft day and FA? Sometimes your just not very…well…’sensible’.
February 16th, 2012 at 8:32 pm
Ok, 1 special assistant, no DC, no RB coach that we know of, no special teams coaches, when is the combine or are we depending on these college coaches that saw players first hand to make picks
February 16th, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Besides…you don’t think Emeril would bring an instant upgrade to Long John Silvers…….?
February 16th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
Joe – Sounds like the bucs got their consultant you were screaming for last year to come in and analyze how things are being done, i.e. preparation, film study, approaches, etc…..that is my take on davis.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
@ Bobby
“Seriously??!? You need to go back and look at the players this guy put into the NFL through Miami and UNC and you may rethink that statement.”
I never said he wasn’t a good coach. He’s a GREAT coach and developer of talent but “coaching” and “player personnel” are two different things with different skill sets. He proved at Cleveland that he couldn’t evaluate/bring in the proper talent to win when he was given the keys to the franchise. Is there anything factually wrong with that statement?
February 16th, 2012 at 9:05 pm
I actually like this idea. Davis is able to observe and advise. NOT just the players. That’s why I like it. He can let coaches know what he sees need corrected with specific players and even advise how he’d make the correction. Some young DC will get lots of advise and experience before being turned loose to run things on his own. Players will indirectly get the same coaching they’d get from Davis. Coordinators and Head Coach will have more time to spend on game planning and fundamentals, while Davis nit-picks the details. More time for Coaches to organize and actually “coach”.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
I’m just happy the Bucs have a real head coach again, let’s see what he can do.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:28 pm
“I never said he wasn’t a good coach. He’s a GREAT coach and developer of talent but “coaching” and “player personnel” are two different things with different skill sets. He proved at Cleveland that he couldn’t evaluate/bring in the proper talent to win when he was given the keys to the franchise. Is there anything factually wrong with that statement?”
Of course there’s something factually wrong with that statement. Who do you think recruits the talent for college? If he put that many college players in the NFL as top tier elite players then I would say he understands talent. You think these players just magically appear at college level and then Davis just takes over without any prior input as to who they recruit?? C’mon man. If you can evaluate talent and recruit it at a college level I would think it would be a lot easier to do it at the NFL level. At that point these players have had much more time to develop and you’ve seen a lot more tape of each individual. You point out Cleveland as if it were the sole coaching moment in his career. Talk about selective reasoning….
February 16th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
I agree with Bobby’s comments. What I can not understand is the negativity that comes from the same posters everytime something is reported or when the Bugs make a move. Sit back and let the cards fall. IMHO the Bucs front office has made tremendous strides and so far have made good sound decisions. For the first time in a VERY long time I have faith in our future.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Paul Hilton Davis, Jr. aka Butch Davis stood in front of us and gave, as Joe said, a very presidential address of his role at and outlook for the Tama Bay Bucs.
There is no doubt that his severance agreement with UNC convolutes the appearance of his role with the Bucs. What I heard was a message of integrity and for those of us who would rather see him as DC can’t have it both ways. You can’t believe this man to be the man for all seasons and your unequivocal choice for DC and not believe he has the integrity to tell the truth when he says that this role is what he wants to do.
Remember, Davis has not been a DC since 1993. It’s apparent that he does not see himself in that role which may be a harbinger for how long he’s with the Bucs before he is a HC somewhere at a major college or another NFL team. Then too, men like Davis and Tom Bradley, former interim coach at Penn State, have egos commensurate with their status and accomplishment and are not eager to take a lower level job simply for employment.
If anything should be different, Davis should have reported to the Glazers with the mandate to counsel and advise both Schiano and Dominik on all things football. In my opinion, they are both candidates for an introductory course to the NFL. I like the man, I like the plan, and I like the way things are starting to shape up for this team.
Whether we like it or not, this is a done deal. No matter how much we continue to editorialize or opine, as Schiano might say this is a made decision. We should all relax and move on to the draft!
February 16th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
I just bought a fine tuned classic hot rod. It has a 35 mph restrictor plate on it.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
@Bobby
LOL that’s what I thought you were implying.
Sorry but recruiting high school kids to Miami and UNC doesn’t impress me when talking about NFL evaluation. In college he had 25 guaranteed opportunities to get stud players every year and he had his pick of 4 and 5 star recruits being based in two talent-rich states. How much “evaluation” did Mizzou do to get DGB this year? How many hours did Spurrier pore over game tape to decide that Jadeveon Clowney deserved a scholarship?
College coaching/recruiting is about salesmanship and acquiring the best and brightest talent first, then its about player development. The NFL is about less about ID’ing talent (everybody is awesome relatively speaking) and more about ID’ing what each player does well and projecting how they will fit w/into your scheme (a much tougher evaluation).
Butch’s time in Cleveland is the best most direct evidence of how well he evaluates NFL personnel. Could he have gotten better over the years? Yes. Is his current position in the organization a waste for us? No. He’s got a proven great NFL mind as a coach and coordinator. I’m just stating that I wish/hope that he sticks to what he does best: coaching and coordinating.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:13 pm
neither lack of interest on coaching players or money had any part?
if he doesnt have a lack of interest in coaching then why isnt he coaching?
didnt mark say that butch didnt wanna coach bút if he did tbey would pay off unc?
????????????
February 16th, 2012 at 10:20 pm
“Remember, Davis has not been a DC since 1993. It’s apparent that he does not see himself in that role which may be a harbinger for how long he’s with the Bucs before he is a HC somewhere at a major college or another NFL team”
Exactly. He won’t be here for long and I don’t mind that. I’m bummed that he didn’t want to be the DC but I completely understand that he wants to run his own program again. He’s going to help Schiano immensely with the transition from college to the pros and will help upgrade our overall professionalism. He’s been there. He’s made mistakes and Schiano seems to trust him. Welcome aboard Butch!
February 16th, 2012 at 10:39 pm
I like the move, and I think Butch can bring a lot to the table. However I have to agree with Sensible in regards to his evaluation skills/personnel decision making….in 2002 he drafted the legendary William Green at #16, and Ed Reed (his boy) went shortly after. Making the Green choice even worse was that a pretty decent RB named Clinton Portis (also his boy) went in the 2nd round….a couple of picks after the Browns took Andre Davis, a very subpar WR.
I know everyone makes mistakes, and like i said i think the experience he brings is invaluable. Schemes, gameplans, adjustments, preparation, etc are things he can help a great deal with. I just wouldn’t lean too heavily on his opinion regarding prospect evaluation. He passed up 2 players he was VERY familiar with for 2 guys who had pretty forgettable careers. And as we all know, Reed and Portis were 2 of the league’s best at their positions for a long time.
February 16th, 2012 at 11:04 pm
sounds almost ceremonial..
and a big wast of time.
i woulda preferred he take the bull by the horns and dc the bucs back to a top ten defense. then he might have gotta another nfl hc gig. this seems like buying time to retire.
February 16th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Does Butch REALLY not want to coach, or do the Bucs just not want to buy out his contract for him to be DC?
This guy SHOULD be our DC! It’s going to be Feb. 17 tomorrow and we still don’t have a DC. This is becoming a huge joke. Another week or so and we might set a record for time taken to complete a coaching staff.
Maybe we can make it to March?
February 16th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
bama oline coach rejected us.
hos many is that now?
February 16th, 2012 at 11:22 pm
@ Patrick
I think the Organization would love to have him as DC but he declined because he wants another head coaching gig. I don’t think it has anything to do with us or money. Schiano/whoever convinced him to come in and consult until that opportunity arose (and/or he gets paid all his UNC $).
We haven’t heard anything about the Sheridan interview. Maybe it’s him. Maybe it’s Tom Bradley. I’m don’t think it will matter when the guy gets in because, as Butch said today, Schiano’s fingerprints will be all over the defense.
I want to see us blitz the crap out of people just like Schiano did at Rutgers!
February 16th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
@ eric
I saw that. At least 3 college coaches 🙂
Would you want to leave the safety of a job at Bama?
February 16th, 2012 at 11:50 pm
butch aint getting another college gig anytime soon based on his ending at unc.
no pro team has sniffed him for years.
being special super secret non coaching consultant aint a door opener.
February 17th, 2012 at 1:38 am
Don’t you think Butch Davis knows he’s not getting another college job any time soon, and hasn’t had many NFL offers either, and maybe that’s why he’s only advising and taking the severance pay from UNC… because he won’t get a payday like that again for a very long time, if ever again. I can’t really blame the guy. He’s got the severance package, he’d be better off staying out of football altogether if it came down to a choice of keeping or losing the severance package.
Let’s see… I can do something I love doing, and still make a good payday, I can sit unemployed and still make a good payday, or I can get a job and work like a dog doing something I love and make a quarter of what I would have gotten… hmmm, think I’d be an adviser too.
February 17th, 2012 at 5:44 am
Eric and Sensible the new 2.2’s
February 17th, 2012 at 10:29 am
Still sounds real fishy as to why he will not actually coach or be the DC…. but, just glad to have him aboard regardless.
February 17th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
I see some have chosen the red whine to go with their Bucs course this year!
February 17th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
The head coach is not the only one that drfats players for teams! not saying he didnt have some bad choices(what HC does?), but come on, you guys act like every draft pick in Cleveland was his fault. I think his down fall in Cleveland was more QB related. Remember the Couch/Holcomb/Garcia controversy?
BTW funny how three of his picks are on our team. Faine Winslow and Jones