Will New Coordinator Hire Position Coaches?
December 15th, 2014
Will Jeff Tedford’s replacement get to hire his own position coaches? Did Tedford?
Jeff Tedford started his Tampa reign with Lovie Smith’s running backs coach and receivers coach, meaning friends of Lovie who coached with him in Chicago.
Tight ends coach Jon Embree and offensive line coach George Warhop? They were veteran NFL guys and members of the Browns’ blown up 2013 staff.
Embree was a Pac-12 head coach at Colorado when Tedford was at “Cal,” but Joe never felt like Tedford, a career college coach with a CFL background, had the guiding hand in those hires.
That brings Joe to the Bucs’ urgent need to hire a new offensive coordinator.
Barring unique contracts, Tampa Bay’s entire offensive staff, including playcaller/quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo, was signed before this season to two-year guaranteed deals with a club option for 2016.
Will Lovie and the front office allow the new coordinator to boot the current staff and hire his guys? Or will he be stuck with the old guard?
Joe hopes the new guy gets free reign to do his thing. But don’t bet on it.
Speaking on WDAE-AM 620 last week, former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, one of three QBs to lead Tampa Bay to the NFC title game, said it’s critical that the new coordinator chose position coaches.
“I was in a situation in Tampa where after my rookie year they fired Mike Shula and they brought in Les Steckel to be the offensive coordinator, but we kept all our offensive assistants,” King said. “And that was a very difficult, you know, situation to be in. Because Les wanted one thing from his offense, yet each assistant was implementing the system based on his viewpoint. So that will be a big decision Lovie has to make if he decides to bring in an OC.”
Steckel was fired after one season, despite the Bucs offense improving to the 21st-ranked unit in the NFL for the 2000 season.
Joe found this Associated Press excerpt after Steckel’s firing quite telling.
Under Steckel, the offense improved from 28th to 21st in the league. The Bucs set a club record with 388 points, scored a franchise-high 43 touchdowns and averaged a club-best 4.2 yards per rush.
“As most of you know, I am the biggest proponent of continuity and I don’t like to change. I’ve kind of violated my rule two years in a row. Hopefully, we’ll get through that and we’ll get the right person in the job,” [Tony] Dungy said, adding he was not asked by management to fire Steckel.
“It’s a little bit of chemistry, a little bit of fit, a little bit of what I want to do, how I want to do things. It is just hard to explain and put a finger on and let everyone know without getting into a lot of detail that we just can’t get into.”
Perhaps that “chemistry” Dungy referenced had something to do with Steckel inheriting position coaches.
You can hear all of King’s radio interview below:
December 15th, 2014 at 9:35 am
Our chemistry is sodium and water. I’d rather not carry that forward.
We need to can the entire offensive staff, top to bottom. Then we need to hire an actual NFL coordinator. Then we need to let him hire his position coaches, pick his QB, and replace most of his OL.
December 15th, 2014 at 9:36 am
Furthermore, I’d rather keep Arroyo than Warhop.
And I don’t want to keep Arroyo.
December 15th, 2014 at 9:42 am
I still can’t imagine a single experienced OC willing to work for Lovie based on his now 10 years of destroying offenses.
It is career suicide to be an OC in Tampa under Lovie.
If I was Mariota and bucs have first pick and lovie is still coaching, I’d go back to school. Especially since 1st picks don’t break the bank anymore.
December 15th, 2014 at 9:45 am
Just fire Lovie if we’re drafting a QB. An offensive head coach who will be here for 10 years is what we need for a QB, not Lovie and likely 5-7 OCs in 10 years.
December 15th, 2014 at 9:54 am
There are a bunch of retreads that could bounce from one losing team to the Bucs, but none of them will really make a difference. With the distinct possibility the Bucs add a “Franchise” QB through the draft, I recommend a long hard look at Duke’s David Cutcliffe . He has taken a downtrodden football program and made it a winner.
Who did Peyton turn to when he was rejuvenating his career and health, following 4 neck surgeries…..David Cutcliffe. He is creative, adapts his offensive plans to the personnel he has and is a winner.
December 15th, 2014 at 10:07 am
Dean === I agree Cutcliffe would be a good choice but he is also a smart man why would he kill his career working for lovie.
December 15th, 2014 at 10:07 am
Nice recommendation Dean. Always like to read insightful comments based on facts rather than the usual, “Lovie sucks,” “fire Lovie,” followed by a load of rants filled with loathing and hate from people who have never been to a live Bucs game in their life’s.
December 15th, 2014 at 10:09 am
One other thing, Dean. could you mail that suggestion to the Bucs GM.
December 15th, 2014 at 10:12 am
Joe — you mentioned John Embree’s stint in pac 12 his record was right up Lovie’s alley 4 – 21. I had beers yesterday with a CU alum who said they could not get him out of town fast enough. He had a lot of the same complaints that bucs fans have of lovie, nice quality guy yet stubborn, not willing to make adjustments and not playing to the strength of his players. Winners breed winners…
December 15th, 2014 at 10:20 am
I was watching a special on the 1983 Draft and how the Colts drafted Elway #1 even though he said he would play baseball for the Yankees before he played for the Colts. I was only 9 in 1983 and never knew that there was so much Elway drama but it reminded me of the Bucs and Bo Jackson. If I were either Winston or Mariota, I would do anything other than play for this train wreck of an organization. The owners are stooges. The coaches are clueless…case and point, in the loss to the Panthers, on their last drive and the Bucs had 3 time outs and the 2 minute warning after the 1st down for the Panthers there was just under 3 minutes remaining in the game and we called a timeout but it seemed like they were not sure if they wanted to call a timeout then or let the clock run down to the 2 minute warning before beginning to use the timeouts. They wasted probably about 15 seconds or so before calling the timeout. This is just one of too many instances to recall of clueless coaching and players who are not being used properly and or not being properly prepared for opponents. This is in my opinion a coaching issue which is a reflection of the stooges who hire the coaches. I can’t believe that free agents who we bring in all of a sudden forget how to play winning football and guys that we let go do well at other places. So as much as I want to see my team win again, I have no hope as long as the stooges keep possession of this franchise unless they hire someone who is proven to be an expert to run all football operations and direct the GM and HC with the authority to override their nonsense. Let the GM deal with contracts and negotiations and the HC just manage his staff but the hiring of future GM’s and HC’s should be done by someone with the know how and credentials that the stooges do not have. Also the scouting of college and evaluation of possible free agents needs a big overhaul. We hit on a couple but I think it is more like a broken clock is right twice a day more than any actual skilled evaluation leading to those few hits. Too many misses on every level. I really want to be able to enjoy Buccaneer football again but I do not have much hope that things will get better. This franchise is cursed with bad luck topped with bad decisions and that is too much of a hurdle to be relevant again. Oh and Mr. Irrelevant in the 2015 NFL draft will most likely be whoever the Bucs pick in round 1. 🙁
December 15th, 2014 at 10:43 am
Cutcliffe has heart problems, so you can mark him off the list as after Tedford, well, not happening. Besides why would he want to leave Duke where he’s comfortable forever for here, where he might get fired after 1 year? Remember it’s going to be hard to get a great OC because Lovie could be gone after next year. Shaky job security is not an enticer to come here.
December 15th, 2014 at 10:45 am
There are several reasons why the coordinator job could be attractive to an up and coming coach. But there is one very big reason why it won’t. As long as Lovie has his hand in the offense, it will be difficult for any coordinator to have success in Tampa. Look at the offensive rankings for Chicago under Lovie’s watch. It will tell you all you need to know.
December 15th, 2014 at 11:15 am
As long as Lovie is the HC, we will have problems, the penalty problem is not skill based, it is stupid based and nothing happens. This is just one reason that shows the HC must go. There is and was no excuse to have this problem.
December 15th, 2014 at 12:00 pm
I believe that Lovie doesn’t have a hand in the offense, hence us not sticking with the run and the horrible play calling. You would think that with all the years Lovie has been in the league he would be able to suggest some things to help out his clueless OC Arroyo. Its all Arroyo and whoever they hire next will have total control. Hopefully….
December 15th, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Probably helps explain why Tedford was so willing to step away without returning. Total control always yields poor results, always.
December 15th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
@bucrightoff, you are right on. He does have issues. He and his brother are my patients.