Be Careful Of Rumors
December 31st, 2013
Many Bucs fans were giddy yesterday when the Bucs ended the era of commander Greg Schiano after two raucous seasons that never lacked for drama. Sadly, in the end, there was more drama than wins.
So in the hours after Team Glazer deactivated Schiano’s access card to One Buc Palace, all sorts of names were floated as potential coaching candidates, the biggest name (for locals) was Lovie Smith.
Joe has three words of caution for any name you hear for a coaching candidate in the immediate days ahead: proceed with caution.
The history of Team Glazer coaching searches is one cloaked in mystery and silence. No one saw the Chucky acquisition coming. No one could have imagined Raheem Morris. Chip Kelly came totally out of the blue and, of course, the Schiano hiring was a shock in NFL circles.
Remember two years ago the names that were floated right away: Mike Sherman, Brad Childress (which anyone sober fan knew was a joke) and Marty Schottenheimer? Yeah, those were very public interviews. And Joe is convinced they were conducted as smokescreens.
Right now, agents of prospective coaches are working like madmen trying to convince the Adam Schefters of the world their client will fly down to Tampa soon to meet with Team Glazer.
Don’t buy it. Instead, let the unexpected be expected.
December 31st, 2013 at 7:19 am
I for one am not interested in the 3 that have been named so far
December 31st, 2013 at 7:20 am
After “two raucous” seasons of Schiano, Yet you fail to mention the ” five raucous” seasons with the pop-star. some habits die hard I guess. But here is to the new year, So let the Bucs find a competent NFL GM, and for the Joes to stop playing favorites when it comes to Bucs history.
December 31st, 2013 at 7:23 am
Nah, they all say this seems quite different than the last search.
The Glazers announced their intention to take their time and be thorough last time.
I agree that it seems they have something planned already and they will strike quickly.
I also agree that it would be surprising with the large amount of national media all saying the same thing if Lovie weren’t our next HC.
IMO, hopefully it’s true. Than again with the last two coaching choices the Glazers may disappoint us fans again.
December 31st, 2013 at 7:25 am
Greg Roman or Darrel Bevel then tag em with a hard core aggressive d coordinator maybe a love(if he’ll drop to dc) or a Jim Swartz type to run the defense and we’re golden…..o yea and drop the house on the trade bait for bridge water or find some type of signal caller who can consistently move the chains. If we don’t jump up n the draft to splash and land our QB I’d b more then comfortable letting a Chad henne compete with Glennon for the start
December 31st, 2013 at 7:32 am
Thanks Joe. I’m really not impress with having a “college” OC if Lovie comes. I’m really done with the college quality.
Please Glazers go for NFL quality!
December 31st, 2013 at 7:34 am
No more LAUGHING STOCK II
December 31st, 2013 at 7:34 am
When I first heard as Lovie Smith as a potential replacement, it felt like the biggest “meh” name out there. Upon further review, he seems to have had a pretty stable record while in Chi-town, not outstanding, but after his first season at 5-11, his next worst record was 7-9, twice, over the next 8 years. Sprinkle in 4 double digit win season, 3 division titles and 1 Conference Title, that looks a lot better than what we’ve seen around here the past 10 years.
I’d love to think we’ll get the next Bellichik or Harbuagh, but keep in mind both of those guys were hired with question marks, so they were gambles that paid off for their respective teams.
Smith may be the closest thing to actual Dungy clone; strong-quiet type personality, defensive minded, struggles getting right OC; which is probably exactly what this team needs now.
December 31st, 2013 at 7:39 am
The guys they are rolling in right now are their back up plans to save face in case the guy they want isn’t landed. The hot name will be Jay Gruden. Too many teams need to groom a QB in this QB driven league. Andy Dalton is playing unbelievable, don’t think teams haven’t noticed.
December 31st, 2013 at 7:42 am
@william
actually were up to “no more laughing stock III “
December 31st, 2013 at 7:54 am
I hope it’s not Lovie. He sucked in Chicago. My question is are they going hire a GM first and let him find the coach or are they going to hire the coach and bring in a GM that the coach can work with.
December 31st, 2013 at 7:56 am
Good advice.
I would be pleased with Lovie, but I suspect they are going after bigger fish, and released Dom to allow it to happen.
December 31st, 2013 at 8:18 am
So, I’m not sure what the smoke and mirrors is all about. Every one of these veiled coaching searches has led to a big flop. What’s the point of parading around legitimate candidates so you can have a side alley deal worked out with some odd ball just to have them fall on their face? Why not have a real, professional approach to this thing instead of trying to be Bob Barker unveiling a new car.
December 31st, 2013 at 8:30 am
@ eric I kinda got the same feeling that’s what they’re thinkn…..but what fish are bigger then lovie???? Maybe a cowher or a Parcells ??? I can’t think of any bigger fish.
December 31st, 2013 at 8:44 am
Good lord, Lovie is just Dungy lite, this team needs an aggressive offensive minded coach, someone who will take the reins of the offense an dpush it forward and allow a DC to clean up the last remaining pieces that our D needs. No more Tampa Two, everyone in the world knows how to bust it, thats why not one team is running it as their base D anymore. There are some god young offensive minds out there, but first we need a VP of Football Ops (Derrick Brooks in my mind), then a GM who can handle player eval (college and pro) as well as Capology, then lets worry about getting a coaching staff, nothing good is built without that solid front office foundation.
December 31st, 2013 at 8:47 am
@Patrick in VA
This is the way of the NFL, no team wants any other team to know what they are doing or thinking, so they bring in guys they have no intention of ever hiring, just to throw that scent out there.
December 31st, 2013 at 8:50 am
@nasty,
wish I knew. maybe one of the two guys who coached here before?
Im fairly confident the Glazers knew this was going to happen, and had to have some feelers out there. And whoever nibbled wants to bring in a GM.
Im warming up to Rich Mckay. If you look at the ten years he was GM thats the golden years of bucs history. 41 pro bowl selections in that span. Six playoff apperances and the super Bowl. Five wins in the playofffs. Zero since.
and hes only 55.
December 31st, 2013 at 9:03 am
I can’t get into the mindset of smoke-screening this process.
Lovie Smith is an easy rumor … follows a familiar pattern.
If they’re drafting a QB, and I think they will be .. presuming some years of success (*cough*), it makes sense to finally hire an offensive-minded HC so that there’s some stability in style and scheme even as the ostensibly-successful OCs are hired away for HC jobs elsewhere.
Whisenhunt could make sense in this regard. … or __________ ?
December 31st, 2013 at 9:08 am
I like your view @eric …how would you fix the QB dilemma in your opinion….If we even have 1 according to your thoughts?
December 31st, 2013 at 9:10 am
I don’t want a Hot Coordinator or a hot new executive. We did that already.
Bring in a guy with a proven record, Bill Polian, Rich McKay, or Brian Billick. Guys that know how to run a program for GM.
Bring in a Coach with a proven track record with a solid stable of coordinators and assistants already lined up.
We’ve been mediocre, or just flat out bad. I’m tired of it, lets do it the right way with proven people.
December 31st, 2013 at 9:24 am
Those that don’t like Smith quite possibly have another agenda. He inherited a mess in Chicago and turned that team into an annual contender. No, he never won the Super Bowl… but how many of those guys are available and willing to work? But he built a consistently good team that was either in the playoffs or on the verge of making the playoffs almost every year.
For those that THINK that the T-2 is dead… just take a look at the Bears of this year and last. This season, the season AFTER Lovie Smith, the Bears were the 30th ranked defense in both yardage and points scored. In 2012, under Smith, they were the 3rd against points scored and 5th in yardage. Yes, their offense was better… but they lost 2 more games. Smith is a winning coach. That’s what Tampa needs, a winner.
Oh, and by the way, Ron Rivera, a former coach for Lovie Smith, plays a ton of T-2 in Carolina, you know, the NFC South Champs. Gerald McCoy would absolutely thrive in Smith’s defense, as would David.
For those of you that don’t want a Dungy clone, a guy that will make us a contender, play good defense, keep us in every game, you’re nuts. We have been terrible over the past 5 seasons, haven’t made the playoffs, and our defensive unit doesn’t nearly play up to its talent. His offenses weren’t great, but how can any offense be when they are led by the likes of Chad Hutchinson, a rookie Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman (#2 scoring team in one of his years), Brian Griese, and Jay Cutler. I think the majority of the Bears offensive woes under Smith have more to do with the Bears never having the right QB than poor offensive coordinating. Still, back to defense, one year after Smith took over the Bears, their defense was #1 i the league, two years after, they went to the Super Bowl.
I don’t know about you guys, but I want to go to the playoffs. I want to be a contender. Nobody knows who is the next Belichick or next Schiano, the next Sean Payton or the next Brad Childress, but what we know about Smith is that he is a winner. And if he turns out to be the next version of Marty Schottenheimer, I can live with that too. I just want to win. Smith is 3-3 in the postseason…something the Bucs haven’t seen since 2007.
December 31st, 2013 at 9:41 am
I like the Rich Mckay pick for GM. Proven track record.
December 31st, 2013 at 9:48 am
Lovie smith is probably the best coach out there I have no problem whith that hire as long as the oc is good
December 31st, 2013 at 9:53 am
If I may add to what Joe said…
…last night I saw a fan comment something like “the Glazers don’t know what they are doing! They’re trying to hire the head coach before the GM!”
I would urge that everyone keep in mind 98% of these rumors are false. Every media guy out there is being pressured to “get the scoop” and so they generate rumors to make it look like they know something they actually do not.
Or, in some circles, if one little-known guy says he knows something, the big guys run with it, even if it is obviously false. Why? Because by tagging “so and so is reporting” they get out of being held accountable.
My theory is that they may be feeling out GM/HC teams this time around. If there are no bites, they’ll move on to GMs alone.
December 31st, 2013 at 10:07 am
I like the Rich Mckay pick for GM. Proven track record.
Yeah, like this is gonna happen. He’s 20 years gone & in a happy place where he’s at. Why on earth would he even contemplate a demotion to GM in a place that tossed him. Dream on.
December 31st, 2013 at 10:26 am
Bucs could do worse than Schottenheimer just saying.
December 31st, 2013 at 10:39 am
Bill Polian is 71 and was Vice Chairman of the Colts. He might take a VP job with the Bucs – wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Glaziers to bring him in to choose a GM…and then assist the GM with the coaching search. Personally I think he’s perfectly happy as an NFL analyst for ESPN.
Rich McKay is President and CEO of the Falcons. I can’t imagine him taking a step down to be GM of the Bucs. Plus, I’m not sure how his separation with the Bucs sits with him. Unless he has a burning desire to get back into football operations and the money is right…I just don’t see it.
Brian Billick has been out of football for 6yrs. Fans are always pulling people out of their easy highly paid TV analyst gigs into the 100hrs a week GM/ Coaching job.
The last time the Bucs hired a “hot new coordinator” – it was Dungy – Raheem was never a coordinator. The Glaziers need help with the football operations of this team. I believe that they leaned on Dominik to help with operations and their last 2 coaching searches. We know how those hires have gone…So I think the Glaziers will bring in someone to be VP of operations and that person will choose the GM…then assist with the Coaching search.
December 31st, 2013 at 10:41 am
Lovie Smith and Rod Marinelli and even McKay would be
AWESOME!!
Warren Sapp didnt like Schiano!
That should say it all!
Now, we should undo the shame Dominik did to #55 The Don- Derrick Brooks!
And hire him back into the Bucs!!!
We need that old Buc magic!!
Lovie Smith!!
Wwwwoohhhhooooo!!
December 31st, 2013 at 10:41 am
The “Dungy like” philosophy of a Lovie Smith, won’t work in today’s modern NFL. Lovie’s cover two schemes are outdated and unless you paired him with Peyton Manning, it won’t work. And you might as well cut Revis, because Lovie will be running zone concepts 90 percent of the time. Safeties can’t be aggressive with the new rules so any base ‘cover two’ is garbage.
December 31st, 2013 at 10:47 am
I personally would like Lovie because we have far more talent on defense than we do on offense and more pieces in place to work with. Having a dominant defense would give us time to get the offensive pieces in place because we could score fewer points and still win games. Give me Carolina’s defense any day of the week over their offense. Get Jimmy Garoppolo in the first round and go after Hardy from Carolina in FA. Beef up the O-line and get some depth at WR and we’ll be fine with a creative OC.
December 31st, 2013 at 11:50 am
why not Jay Gruden, he is offensive and he is a tampa guy, he has worked his way thru the ranks, from tampa bay storm, 4 championships, to coach of Orlando predators, to coach with chucky on our sb team, now he is top OC in league, lets get a gruden back.
December 31st, 2013 at 11:56 am
I think Lovie went through 4 or 5 OC’s while he was up in Chicago. By all accounts people were glad to see him go. There are 6 other vacancies out there and aside from Houston this is the only other potential spot mentioned for Lovie. If they are going to snag a big name, be it Smith or anyone else, they better act quickly.
December 31st, 2013 at 12:10 pm
The Tampa 2 is still a good defense, as it is excellent for dealing with pass-happy teams. We used to regularly massacre teams (defensively, I mean) that couldn’t run the ball with power, regardless of how great their passing game normally was.
The problem with that defense is that it has to have disciplined players who are well-schooled in tackling and, like the old Bucs, has to have excellent personal in key slots, particularly the 3-technique DT, Will, and SS/FS positions (can vary somewhat from team to team, of course).
One reason Kiffin was an odd choice for Dallas and why Dallas doesn’t have a kick-ass defense is the lack of appropriate personnel. It takes time to build a good Tampa 2 defense and an ability to recognize the appropriate coaching and talent.
December 31st, 2013 at 12:13 pm
I’m sure the Glazers started planning for this situation at least two months ago when the team was 0-8. While Schiano and Dominik may have been surprised to lose their jobs, ownership must have been preparing for this a long time. Their search of possible candidates has been in the works for a while.
December 31st, 2013 at 12:54 pm
Good point Joe.
December 31st, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Watched on an interview that it’s likely they will go HC before GM.
They said the HC list is short and will go quick with how many teams are vying for a new HC and that the Glazers know that.
Willing to bet Lovie to TB is no rumor lol
December 31st, 2013 at 10:52 pm
beware of fan blog sites and a.m. radio….if you haven’t noticed they choose sides with whomever they play golf or go to dinner with….nope….wait for it and eat it from a journalist….