Tedious Search Not Troubling Mark Dominik
February 16th, 2012
Bucs fans have been wringing their hands in angst over the Bucs’ inability to complete a coaching staff as late February approaches on the calendar.
With only an offensive coordinator and special assistants announced and rumors of other coaches on the staff, it may be a race to the finish for new Bucs coach Greg Schiano to have a full staff on board by the time the glorified indoor track practice NFL combine starts next week.
And Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik is OK with this. Talking to eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune, Dominik is of the mind that a good staff selected late is better than having a staff thrown together just for the sake of show.
At this rate, there’s no certainty the Bucs will have a full complement of assistants when Dominik and Schiano attend their first combine together.
“In working with coach Schiano, one of the things that has made him so successful is he’s detailed and he’s organized,’’ said Dominik. “He’s making sure anyone who comes in this door is someone he feels extreme confidence in.’‘
[Six] days after hiring former Giants assistant Mike Sullivan as their offensive coordinator, the Bucs are still on the prowl for a defensive coordinator to implement the principles Schiano developed in 11 seasons as head coach at Rutgers.
Joe has touched on this before: If there is a problem with assembling a staff this late, no one is to blame other than the hierarchy at One Buc Palace. If, as Joe was told from the inside, that the former coaching staff knew the handwriting was on the wall in early December about their fate, then the cord should have been cut at that time in order to get a head start of the coaching search.
Joe has zero issue with what the Bucs are calling “due diligence” in the coaching search. In fact, Joe applauds such an approach rather than throwing insane money at the coaching flavor of the month.
That, however, doesn’t preclude an organization from being proactive and thus avoiding painting itself in a corner like the coaching staff is in now, without a defensive coordinator nearly seven weeks after the regular season.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:05 am
There’s due diligence and then there’s dragging your ass. I applaud the former, but we’ve crossed into the latter.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:24 am
I’m not worried about a DC as we have Davis and Schiano figuring it out. Something tells me with 2 defensive minded coaches already in place any DC that comes in may not have much say with the current HC and DA.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:27 am
I don’t see a problem with this at all. The combine is not that big of a deal, plus whether a coach is with a team or not they will be watching it anyway. To begin, the combine is over rated, and it is not like the coaches do any real coaching at the combine anyway. Plus Dom, Schiano, Davis, Raye, and the scouts are going to be the ones with the biggest input into the draft anyhow. As for free agency, whoever coaches this defense is only going to be a puppet of Schiano and Davis so they already know what type of players they need to get to fit Their scheme, not a big deal at all. We waited and got a guy like Sullivan, a friggen army ranger, and he is exactly what Schiano has preached since being hired. I am ok waiting to get the same thing on defense. Also I believe there was a report last night that we had signed a def coordinator anyway, not sure if it is true or not.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:27 am
More important to get right guys not to worry about an imposed timeline by the fans. I’m pretty sure no one is disappointed with Davis or Sullivan. I’m confident the Bucs are doing it the right way this time vs last hire. Lesson learned.. Now we get to see what lessons Dominik learned. This is his biggest year all around and The FA period will be his biggest opportunity to prove he’s learned. Signing good FA (more than 1) will prove the Bucs are serious and depending on who and how many can finally but the myth that the Glazers are cheap to bed.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:33 am
Besides we don’t need a full coaching staff going into the draft. That’s what Todd Mcshay and Mel Kiper Jr are for.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:48 am
The worst thing the fans can do is demand a hire right now, but anyone trying to argue that this wait is the result of a highly-organized search is kidding themselves. No way any competent hiring committee takes this long to make a hire if they’re approaching it in a systematic, effective manner. Somebody doesn’t have a F’n clue what they’re doing.
At least we hit a home run with by far the most important hire.
February 16th, 2012 at 9:54 am
thibs, that report last night was that they are interviewing Bill Sheridan, former Giant DC, but no one hired yet. Anyway, I agree with your general opinion regarding the combine.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:00 am
I don’t know what the big deal is. Dom is just going to fire the coordinators before the year is out anyways.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:00 am
Did the Saints, Falcons, Steelers have to spend “insane money” to get Spags, Nolan, and Haley?
Waiting so long till most of the top notch experienced coordinators were scooped up could also be deemed insane.
At the very least very questionable.
A little surprised the DC thing drags on given we have Butch who outa have lots of connections.
That Dominik fellow sure knows how to play the company line. Amazingly smug after putting together the worst defensive team in franchise history.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:11 am
The thing that bothers me is that I think the delay is not only from due diligence, but, that secret parameters (contract terms, $, etc.) set by the Glazers have kept Schiano from getting the guys he wants.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:18 am
Those secret parameters will get you every time.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:33 am
What was Dominik supposed to do – dump the whole coaching staff in December? Even if they fired just Raheem, they’d be firing the DC too, so they would have needed to fill 2 major positions. Don’t forget, the Bucs wanted a HC with high character. No new coach with “high character” would come in to interview for a job in December while Raheem and Co. was still on staff. Though I agree with you a good amount of times, I think you should stop blowing the, “the Bucs should have started their search in December” whistle. It’s silly.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:47 am
Mark Dominick flat out sucks as a GM
February 16th, 2012 at 10:48 am
Bucfish:
You mean if the Bucs would have pulled the plug on Raheem in early December the Bucs wouldn’t have lost their last 10 games?
February 16th, 2012 at 10:48 am
I really hope the Bill Sheridan as DC does not happen. This line from his bio says it all:
“He was fired on January 4, 2010 after the Giants Defense slipped as the team dropped 8 of their last 11 games and allowed 40 points on five different occasions, a franchise record.”
That was his one and only year being a DC on any level. It’s ridiculous that Davis is not the DC. What a charade.
February 16th, 2012 at 11:09 am
We’re Ballin on a Budget!
February 16th, 2012 at 11:11 am
I dated a secret parameter once! Boy, what a nice set of variables she had!
February 16th, 2012 at 11:12 am
Hahaha, awesome reply.
February 16th, 2012 at 11:14 am
AlstottSmart
I saw that too and have to agree. That scenario is very reminiscent to our own defensive failings last season! Do we really want to have Sullivan as DC?
February 16th, 2012 at 11:31 am
LOL @OAR!
February 16th, 2012 at 11:31 am
“It’s a race (fight) to the finish! Yea, that’s a good place to end.” — Mitch Hedburg
February 16th, 2012 at 11:36 am
Davis didn’t want to coach, and don’t let the Assistant tag fool you, the defense will be run through him and Schiano, they will have the final say on what plays are called during the games, especially Schiano.
February 16th, 2012 at 11:43 am
According to coachingsearch.com, Greg Schiano has talked with Alabama offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland about the offensive line job with the Bucs. Hmmm…Trent Richardson in our future?
February 16th, 2012 at 11:44 am
It ain’t easy being this cheap
February 16th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Right…..Davis doesn’t want to coach. *wink*
Also, Urban Meyer wanted to spend time with his family.
February 16th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Butch Davis already IS our Defensive Coordinator, and soon the UNC will prove it, in court. I will be surprised if they don’t file suit against Butch Davis.
Not that I want them to, but this all seems like a house of cards fixing to fall apart.
February 16th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
Whine whine whine whine. Complain complain complain complain.
February 16th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
It’s even better when people actually complain about complaining.
February 16th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Is that the red whine or the white whine with your Bucs entree’?
February 16th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
Apple
Dont worry I think our game of 52 pick-up will workout fine. Besides could it really get any worse?
February 16th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
OAR,
We already discussed Sheridan. Don’t jinx it! lol
February 16th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Alsottsmart
Ha, true, but Im hoping that Sheridan falls into the “interviewing everybody that really has no chance” category?
February 16th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
OAR,
Of course, I forgot, Dom is using strategy to trick all the other team’s currently hiring a DC. Wait, what?
February 16th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Had lunch over at One Buc on Monday after a tour and ran into most of the new staff while having lunch. Ones that I met were Butch Davis, PJ Fleck, Jeff Hafley, Bob Fraser, Brian Agelichio, Jimmy Raye, and Randy Melvin. Hayward, Clayborn and Stocker were there as well. Heard there were quite a few players rolling in starting workouts.
February 16th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
Joe, that’s not the point. The Bucs would have lost regardless. The point is that the Bucs didn’t make a move in December because who would have been the interim HC and DC? Do you make Olsen the HC/OC and promote Millard to DC? C’mon man – this isn’t Pop Warner where 4 coaches do everything! They had to keep the staff together to finish the season – doing it any other way and the whole organization would have been in utter disarray. And I know what you’re going to say, “It WAS in disarray,” but multiply the madness by 200% if Raheem was let go in December. We would have been playing 9-man ball or something…
February 16th, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Does Dominick ever seemed worried about anything.The Pop stars attitude that he is smarter any of his critics is bullsh*t. It is officially played out. Dominick would like fans to think that all this coaching debacle was all part of the plan. This Rock star will burns out next year.