Bucs’ Most Important Assistant
July 15th, 2013
Is John McNulty really the most important assistant on Greg Schiano’s staff?
One could argue a team is only as strong as its assistant coaches. Joe is a coaches kind of guy; always has been. Good coaches can virtually squeeze blood out of a rock. Bad coaches, well, they can implode a team.
In Joe’s eyes, Bob Bostad, the Bucs’ offensive line coach, is one of those guys who can make a rock bleed. Just look what he did last year when his offensive line was in disarray with injuries and guys getting benched? Most offensive lines with that kind of a chaos would turn into turnstiles. Instead, Bostad had one of the better offensive lines.
Joe also is a Bryan Cox fan. As the Bucs’ front seven coach last year, he took a team that was the worst in the NFL in rush defense, and with only adding one player, Lavonte David, he turned the Bucs into the best rush defense. That’s damned solid work.
ESPN South blogger Pat Yasinskas believes there is an important assistant that will be more critical to the success of the Bucs this season, and that is quarterbacks coach John McNulty.
This one is easy because everything in Tampa Bay this season is about quarterback Josh Freeman. He’s headed into the final year of his contract and this season will determine if he has a long-term future with the Bucs.
That’s why I’m going with quarterbacks coach John McNulty. He’s new to the Bucs, but has history with coach Greg Schiano. McNulty worked for Schiano at Rutgers. Schiano tried to hire McNulty to his staff last year, but was refused permission by Arizona, where McNulty was coaching the wide receivers.
McNulty has a reputation for having a bright offensive mind and it will be up to him and offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan to help Freeman become more consistent.
Not a bad choice, but Joe believes Josh Freeman does his most important work with Mike Sullivan versus the quarterbacks coach. Joe was not fond at all of former Bucs quarterback coach Ron Turner. He was an abject failure in developing quarterbacks unless, of course, you count the immortal Kurt Kittner as a success.
Aside from his stint as a quarterbacks coach with Greg Schiano at Rutgers, McNulty has been a lifelong receivers coach. Granted, Joe didn’t follow the [nee] Big East closely, but Joe cannot remember a decent pro quarterback coming out of Rutgers.
July 15th, 2013 at 12:59 pm
QB coach is important…and though it is a very important player he works with its just one player and the backups.
I think the most important assistant this year is Wannstedt, Special Teams Coach.
There hasn’t been much talk about special teams yet but I believe it is an area that we will see great improvement. I suspect many of the roster moves have a side goal of improving special teams.
Look for the Buc defense and special teams to give us much better field position this year.
July 15th, 2013 at 1:06 pm
@tampabaybucfan
That would most definitely be a good way to improve our chances of winning this year. It’d be nice to actually win the field position battle this year
July 15th, 2013 at 1:22 pm
I feel for this guy cause “you can’t polish a turd”
July 15th, 2013 at 1:28 pm
I know Schiano wanted him bad last year, even dispatching the Glazers to intercede on his behalf to Cardinals Owners to release McNulty from his contract!
If Sullivan gets a HC job or moves on otherwise, I think he would get the OC job!
July 15th, 2013 at 1:37 pm
@Macabee
Agreed. If the Bucs offense experiences the expected success in 2013 then Sullivan is almost guaranteed to move on. McNulty seems like the most likely replacement and hopefully there won’t be a significant difference in the playbook, if any. For Freeman’s sake AND Glennon’s.
Personally, I would rather see the Bucs pay Sullivan and the rest of the staff whatever it takes to keep them. I don’t believe there is any limit on coach spending so why not pay them whatever it takes to retain them? If that is head coach money then so be it.
July 15th, 2013 at 1:45 pm
Before the Play60 short bus crew starts on Freeman, maybe we should hear what McNulty thinks of Freeman!
http://blog.buccaneers.com/offseason-program/2013/06/mcnulty-mechanics-not-the-key-to-helping-freeman/
July 15th, 2013 at 1:54 pm
@robert
“you can’t polish a turd”
No doubt he is the baby on the left
July 15th, 2013 at 2:00 pm
I’m just wondering what makes McNulty a turd.
What, you think you could do his job better Robert?
You’re one of those fans that thinks he should be making the decisions huh?
I said that you’d probably post something ridiculous by tomorrow, I was wrong, it only took 15 minutes.
July 15th, 2013 at 2:07 pm
Glad to see everyone is still piling on Robert…went back and read the copy paste stuff and must say your an interesting fellow. I also believe Mike Glennon should get a restraining order on you just to be safe. Most important guy on our Staff has to be Mike Sullivan. My biggest fear is we have a HUGE year and a new OC comes in next year and once again the entire offense has to go through a transition. I would lock that guy up by mid season that would be my number one priority right now.
July 15th, 2013 at 2:56 pm
@ walt
I was talking about freeman
July 15th, 2013 at 3:10 pm
@Kevin
I see McNulty as the new OC. I doubt he will change the offense up and just adjust they playcalls like the did with Flacco last year. They will most likely change the playcalling and implement a new few plays, so they do not have a offensive overhaul. I would think that they would want to minimize the damage of Sullivan leaving.
July 15th, 2013 at 3:14 pm
It is interesting, the league-wide trend toward hiring assistants from the college ranks, esp. on offense. These guys have become the football innovators.
July 15th, 2013 at 3:22 pm
@Robert
Really? Freeman again?
Did he spurn your homosexual advances or something?
July 16th, 2013 at 6:22 am
Robert’s Client: Robert, why haven’t you been able to find me a job?
Robert: You have no ability or experience. “I can’t polish a turd”. Plus, I’m too busy with my job as agitator for Joe Bucs Fan, where I make more $ than 98% of the people”, bashing JFro 6pack.