Mike Smith Will Be Upstairs
March 28th, 2016
Mike Smith is excited to get off the field
A new NFL rule will deny Bucs fans one of the more animated coaches on NFL sidelines.
Dirk Koetter told Pro Football Talk that Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith will call games from the booth and is excited about the rule change that led to his decision.
Coordinators “in the booth” now can communicate directly with a quarterback or the defensive playcaller (aka the players wearing the green dot helmet). Before a new rule passed at the NFL owners meetings last week, a coordinator in the booth was required to call plays down to a coach on the field, who would then be the voice to a player.
Koetter said the rule change would send him upstairs, too, if he wasn’t too busy being head coach.
Joe’s not sure this means anything other than Smith won’t be slamming headsets and screaming at officials, or at opposing players. Of course, Smith could change his mind and return to the field.
Enjoy the revealing Dirk Koetter video below from NBC Sports Network.
March 28th, 2016 at 6:37 am
I used to enjoy watching Mike Smith when he coached the Falcons. He was always one of the more involved coaches, in the entire NFL, and not beyond throwing helmets.
March 28th, 2016 at 7:50 am
I know coaches have a better tactical view point from the booth but I fear the limited player interaction can be detrimental. It seems to me the need to coach players is as important as calling plays. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what role the Coordinators have on game day?
March 28th, 2016 at 9:12 am
I’ve never seen Lovie say anything on the sidelines. Schiano, Raheem all were fired up.
March 28th, 2016 at 9:27 am
lets just hope it translates into wins….GO BUCS!!!
March 28th, 2016 at 10:56 am
I got a feeling Smith might change his mind. He’s the type of coach who loves interaction with the players and refs. A lot of players feed off of that. some say coaches see more from upstairs. He might try it for a few games to see if he likes it though.
March 28th, 2016 at 6:33 pm
I’m indifferent to whether Smith being on the field or in the box is the best for the team. Most likely being in the box will allow the coaches to focus and see things from a better vantage point. With that said, it will break my heart not to see his fire and passion on the field.