All Eyes On Lovie’s Offensive Staff
January 15th, 2016
Remember, brand new Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter didn’t get to make one staff hire when he took over for ill-suited playcaller Marcus Arroyo a year ago.
Koetter was surrounded by Lovie Smith men, including quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian. Lovie didn’t even let Koetter pick his QB coach. Kudos to Lovie, Bajakian and Koetter were brilliant for America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston.
Joe’s not saying Koetter will blow out his staff, but you can bet the house change is coming.
Joe will look first to wide receivers coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker, who always seemed like a curious hire. He’s 36 years old and was a college fullback/running back as a player. He worked as an assistant wide receivers coach with the Bears under Lovie before leaving for a running backs coach job at Florida International University, and then he landed on the Bucs’ staff.
Joe believes Mike Evans could use a fresh perspective, preferably from a guy who played the position.
Without knowing Koetter’s relationship with other staff members, Joe’s not going to speculate down the list. The point is change is imminent.
January 15th, 2016 at 10:07 am
Hire me Coach K , My Motto is Catch the F ‘ in Ball ,, $10,000.00 in the fish bowl for every drop
January 15th, 2016 at 10:11 am
Joe is already on record urging a promotion for Warhop…..one of Lovie’s men….
so, all Lovie’s men can’t be bad.
I do think there will be changes….
January 15th, 2016 at 10:16 am
So far as DC, I’ve decided I don’t want either Mike Smith or Jim Swartz upon doing research.
Mike Smith Defenses:
JAGS DEFENSE 2003 9th
JAGS DEFENSE 2004 12th
JAGS DEFENSE 2005 7th
JAGS DEFENSE 2006 3rd
JAGS DEFENSE 2007 15th
FALCONS DEFENSE 2008 25th
FALCONS DEFENSE 2009 22nd
FALCONS DEFENSE 2010 14th
FALCONS DEFENSE 2011 8th
FALCONS DEFENSE 2012 12th
FALCONS DEFENSE 2013 29th
FALCONS DEFENSE 2014 32nd
4 Top 10 Defenses in 12 years
Jim Schwartz Defenses
TITANS DEFENSE 2002 18th
TITANS DEFENSE 2003 11th
TITANS DEFENSE 2004 24th
TITANS DEFENSE 2005 30th
TITANS DEFENSE 2006 20th
TITANS DEFENSE 2007 1st
TITANS DEFENSE 2008 5th
LIONS DEFENSE 2009 32nd
LIONS DEFENSE 2010 22nd
LIONS DEFENSE 2011 9th
LIONS DEFENSE 2012 24th
LIONS DEFENSE 2013 14th
BILLS DEFENSE 2014 2nd
BILLS DEFENSE 2015 24th
4 Top 10 Defenses in 14 years
Schwartz took over a great Bills defense, and ran it into the ground by his second year.
Mike Smith had 7 Top 15 defenses in 12 years.
Schwartz had 6 in 14 years…and one of them was the Bills his first year (which, as I mentioned, was already good)
January 15th, 2016 at 10:18 am
WRs coach could stand replacing. I think OL and RB coach should be safe.
ST Coach Coordinator should be replaced. They’ve sucked out loud.
January 15th, 2016 at 10:24 am
Bonzai—Schwartz only coached Buffalo one year, the 2014 season.
January 15th, 2016 at 10:26 am
Most of Lovie’s staff was pretty offensive….
January 15th, 2016 at 10:28 am
Our TE coach is a hot commodity I hear
January 15th, 2016 at 10:42 am
special teams needs to go…which I think he was already dismissed. WR coach needs to go. I like Cullen, Nickerson. I’ not sold or against Warhop
January 15th, 2016 at 10:48 am
Randy moss may be worth a shot if he’s interested in coaching wr’s
January 15th, 2016 at 10:52 am
The other thing about Smith and Schwartz is that some of those times they were the HC and not 100% all in on the defense
Schwartz would be a great addition in tampa
January 15th, 2016 at 11:02 am
Terry Robiski might be brought in as the OC/WR coach.
January 15th, 2016 at 11:08 am
@BuccaneerBonzai
I agree I’m not impressed with Mike Smith or Mike Nolan either (btw Mike Nolan recently resigned as San Diego’s LB coach) but Schwartz is an intriguing hire if they can get him.
January 15th, 2016 at 11:13 am
@Bonzai,
Also, Schwartz wasn’t the defensive coordinator with the Lions. He was the head coach. Gunther Cunningham was the defensive coordinator. I think you may want to do a little more research before you proclaim Schwartz to not be a good defensive coach. That’s absolutely ridiculous.
January 15th, 2016 at 11:16 am
@Bonzai
Schwartz didn’t coach the Bills this year. He worked with NFL officiating.
Are you using yardage or ppg rankings? Because Lovie had a top 10 defense in yardage, but was 25th in PPG. I’d rather see PPG rankings.
January 15th, 2016 at 11:27 am
Bonzai, you 6 of the 14 years you put on Jim Schwartz’ tab don’t belong there. he was head coach (not DC) of one of the least talented teams in recent memory with the post-millen lions, and the 2015 bills were all rex ryan
January 15th, 2016 at 11:35 am
You’ve got to look at the years they were DC in order to get an accurate assessment of the job they did. Smith’s Jag’s Def was pretty impressive #9 12, 7, 3, 15, with 3 of 5 top 10 worst was 15. Smith HC experience would help Koetter transition not to mention he was NFL sporting news coach of the year 2008, 2010 & 2012.
January 15th, 2016 at 11:41 am
Kinda hard to find DC’s that routinely have top ten defenses, year in year out.
They become head coaches.
I always thought Mike Smith was a heck of a coach. Three time NFL coach of the year.
Would be good for the staff and Koetter to have a guy to lean on who has been a head coach before.
Lots of success from guys who go from head coach to coordinator. Even Raheem did it.
Saying a former really good DC is no longer a DC because he was fired as a head coach is flawed reasoning IMO.
January 15th, 2016 at 11:43 am
I’m okay with Smith, but would much prefer Schwartz. He runs an attacking 4-3 defense. There is absolutely zero doubt in my mind a lot of our frustrations from this year would be gone (easy slant passes, soft coverage, no pass rush, etc.). I’m pretty sure it’s going to be Smith, but it’s just plain ignorant to say that Schwartz isn’t a really good defensive coordinator.
January 15th, 2016 at 12:10 pm
Joe,
Being that current Running Backs Coach Tim Spencer is a Lovie Smith Loyalist.
Have you heard anything about Ernest Byner – being a possible replacement?
January 15th, 2016 at 12:13 pm
Atlanta’s defense was a large part of the reason they fired that crew last year. I don’t know about Mike Smith or Mike Nolan as the DC.
January 15th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
We currently have *2 members of Jacksonville’s Previous Defensive Staff
Defensive Coaches
• Defensive Coordinator – Mel Tucker
• Defensive Line – *Joe Cullen
• Assistant Defensive Line – *Paul Spicer
• Linebackers – Hardy Nickerson
• Defensive Backs – Cory Undlin
January 15th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Scwhartz had good defenses when he was a coordinator, and his guys always seem to love playing in his scheme. Would not mInd him being hired at all. Not as enthusiastic about Mike Smith to be honest but obviously the connection is there. If not one of those 2, my guess is we will promoting a position or defensive assistant to their first DC gig (not necessarily from our team but maybe from another…)
As for offensive coaches, I would love to see a new WR Coach as soon as possible. Never liked the Hayes-Stoker hire.
January 15th, 2016 at 12:24 pm
Like my buddy Just said, concerning Mike Smith time in JVille.
Don’t discount the role defensive GJack Del Rio played in that defense.
January 15th, 2016 at 12:25 pm
Don’t discount the role Defensive *Guru – Jack Del Rio played in that defense.
January 15th, 2016 at 12:28 pm
I’d like to see Mike Smith’s and Schwartz’s numbers compared to Ron Meeks:
Colts PTs Yards
Before Meeks under noted defensive guru Jim Mora
2001 31 29
2002 7 8
2003 20 11
2004 19 29
2005 2 11
2006 23 21
2007 1 3
2008 7 11
2009 8 18
AFTER Meeks
2010 23 20
Meeks in Carolina
Before
2009 18 7
Under Meeks
2010 8 8
After Meeks
2011 26 18
January 15th, 2016 at 12:30 pm
Considering most of the Colts resources, both money and draft picks, went into their high powered offense, what Meeks did with such little talent is astounding. Neither Smith or Schwartz can say the same… and all he did was make bad defenses good and then they plummeted when he left.
January 15th, 2016 at 12:35 pm
I agree…Hayes-Stoker is the one offensive assistant that I would like to see out the door. You’ve had two years to teach these guys how to high point a freaking football to no avail. That’s basic receiving technique.
January 15th, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Bump Nickerson to D Coordinator.
January 15th, 2016 at 1:44 pm
Ernest Byner for RB coach. He transitioned Doug Martin into the NFL. Martin still has a positive relationship with him. Get Byner NOW !!!!!