Mike Smith Will Return, Gets New Deal
January 12th, 2017
Mike Smith gets more loot
It smells like Mike Smith took one look at the train wreck that will be the Chargers this year — and in the near future — and bolted to Team Glazer’s office asking them to sweeten the pot in Tampa so he could stomach passing on the L.A. head coaching gig.
Whether that’s how it went down or not, nobody will know. But per Adam Schefter of BSPN, Smith has a new contract with the Bucs, presumably enhanced, and he will coach the Tampa Bay defense again in 2017.
Happy Times! Joe is off to Abe’s Place for some celebratory beers!
Joe wrote long ago (and was laughed at by many fans) that Team Glazer could keep Smith in town if they desired. Money talks, and clearly it did today.
All this really means is Smith will be in town one more season, unless Team Glazer ponied up an incredible amount of cash in a unique deal that locks Smith in as defensive coordinator for longer.
The odds are against that, but Joe can dream.
January 12th, 2017 at 7:44 pm
Yesssss!!!
January 12th, 2017 at 7:46 pm
First time poster long time reader….hell yeah! Best news in many many offseasons
January 12th, 2017 at 7:46 pm
Stability is a 2 year event for the Bucs.
January 12th, 2017 at 7:47 pm
Holy hell. Awesome!!! Next season already got better!!
January 12th, 2017 at 7:48 pm
I’m so happy we can keep this continuity going on defense our D really is going to be special next year I think with all our young guys with another year under their belt no more 4 games to learn mikes defense mark it down this defense will be great next year
January 12th, 2017 at 7:48 pm
After being passed over 2 years in a row, he becomes a 2nd tier candidate for a HC job… Unless he can turn our D into a stifling unit.
January 12th, 2017 at 7:51 pm
Offseason is off to a terrific start!
January 12th, 2017 at 7:51 pm
Yes! Hell yea! Bout to crack open a Kansas City Tank 7 brew and enjoy the rest of my night! Go BUCS
January 12th, 2017 at 7:53 pm
This is the best news Bucs fans have had since Dirk Koetter was hired as HC. 2017 now looks a whole lot more promising.
January 12th, 2017 at 7:54 pm
Great for two reasons…
1. Obviously we keep a great coordinator and can continue to improve the players understanding and execution of the system.
2. The defensive assistant coaches get another year learning and honing the system under Smith, making his eventual in-house successor that much better.
January 12th, 2017 at 7:55 pm
He better realize that he needs to play man. Dont be goin lovie smith on us. Embarrassing to be in the spotlight, to be talked about like we are a new team and choke all night against the cowboys. The offense was no surprise but holy crap our defense was horrible. Once again career days against the bucs.
January 12th, 2017 at 7:59 pm
Stability. What a rare thing for this team. Glad that everyone can continue to get comfortable in their current schemes.
January 12th, 2017 at 8:00 pm
Happy Days! Such awesome news!! Our Defense will tear it up next season! I bet they are elated that he’s staying with them. Theyll play even harder for him!
January 12th, 2017 at 8:01 pm
Resign Gholston & get JPP. Draft a S (like Budda Baker or Josh Evans) & DT (like Carlos Watkins). We in business baby. PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!
January 12th, 2017 at 8:02 pm
Thats awesome, division leaders next year.
January 12th, 2017 at 8:07 pm
Man I can’t wait to see this defense in year two in Smith’s scheme. Hope we pick up some good players in the draft and/or free agency to make it even better.
January 12th, 2017 at 8:07 pm
Helllll yea. Been waiting on this news since the season endes. Joe where you rank this on the best moves the bucs have made? Its definitely up there. Thanks Mike Smith
.
January 12th, 2017 at 8:11 pm
choke all night against the cowboys.
2 of the 3 hottest teams in the NFL will meet this weekend. Green Bay at Dallas.
Choke all night…WTF..we lead th vaunted Cowboys in THEIR house by 3 points heading into the 4th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you want to toss that mindless negativity out could you at least be freakking accurate? If we choked it was in the 4th!!!
If we choked “ALL NIGHT” against the Boys…one of the top teams in the league this year we’re set. I mind for heavens sake…we CHOKED our way to a FG lead through 3 Quarters. Imagine if we didn’t choke for 3 quarters.
Fill in the blank….you build on your ( blank )
Have any of you ever seen “negatives”? Seriously? Build on your negatives.
Or do we build on the positives. Again a team just finding it’s identity was able to hang with the Boys through 3 1/2 Q’s…that’s hardly choking.
I’m not talking about moral victories…I”m talking about not throwing the baby out with the bathwater…the Zen saying…you’ll see where you place your attention…look for the bad you’ll find it or look for the good and find it.
In terms of results…that was then this is NOW. 2016 is over it’s 2017. We have finally developed a foundation and not just of players. This move to keep Smitty is just another sign of the growth of this organization.
January 12th, 2017 at 8:13 pm
Good news! Not just money Joe. If an ideal head coaching job came along for Smith he would have taken it. A lot of uncertainty with the Chargers job but I bet he would have taken the Jags job if offered to him. Anyhow, I’m stoked we got Smith for another year!
January 12th, 2017 at 8:15 pm
I totally called this too. He knows the Bucs have a future winner and he wants to win. Smart man makes smart decisions.
January 12th, 2017 at 8:20 pm
I don’t think you can overstate how great of news this is. We have some true continuity on our staff. We should have pretty much the exact same staff for 2 years in a row. When was the last time that has happened?
January 12th, 2017 at 8:24 pm
Man now we have all sets of reasons to attract bug name players!a real defensive cordinator,a team on the up rise,no state tax,and mostly….AMERICAS QB!THIS TIME NEXT YEAR TAMPA WILL BE YOUR #1 DESTINATION!FOR PLAYOFF TEAMS THAT IS BECAUSE WE WILL BE IN THE POSTSEASON AND HAVE HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE.
January 12th, 2017 at 8:27 pm
Its simple. Teams were not as enamored with smith as the joes thought they would be after only one season evident by the fact that he only had 2 interviews when 6 or 7 teams needed a coach. Teams want to see more from his defense. If they play at the level they did 6 out of the last eight games for an entire year, then you have to worry about some team snatching him up. Luckily he gets to prove himself again with a little more talent next year in pewter and red. Thats great for continuity and we should not see a slow start by this defense as a result.
January 12th, 2017 at 8:30 pm
Think this is a sign of things to come. Spending more for coach most likely Spending for free agency to come. Owners realize window is now with Jameis!
January 12th, 2017 at 8:33 pm
Hell yes! Nothing further needs to be said. GO BUCS
January 12th, 2017 at 8:36 pm
Great!!!
January 12th, 2017 at 8:42 pm
Awesome news! I’ve been in favor of this since the season ended. Stability in coaching gets little discussion since it’s so uncommon in the NFL. I still believe that until Smith gets that “perfect” opportunity that’s just too hard to pass, he and Koetter will continue working together. After all, they are the first two members of the Bucs new “Koetter family”.
Great day for the Bucs, next up…..can’t wait until free agency begins!
January 12th, 2017 at 8:44 pm
This may be a shrewd calculation on Smitty’s part
Media reports have coaches in the following cities on the hot seat for ’17. There may be a better opportunity for Smitty next year…this year’s choices are not exactly primo.
Next year’s possibilities..
Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions. …
Bill O’Brien, Houston Texans. …
Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints. …
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens. …
Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals. …
Hue Jackson, Cleveland Browns. …
John Fox, Chicago Bears.
I toss out N.O…I hope…wouldn’t want to see Smitty stay in our division.
Smitty knows this next opportunity will be the last…he and his agent are going to choose very carefully.
Bottom line is that Smitty and his agent feel comfortable about the future of our defense and that’s great since he’s had a year to work with them.
So…sign Pryor or Garcon or Jackson…draft Dalvin Cook if he drops enough and then let Smitty and the guys have the rest of the picks…a safety and DT would be nice…seems we can never have enough DE’s.
January 12th, 2017 at 8:45 pm
One less thing to worry about!
January 12th, 2017 at 8:47 pm
This is such awesome news.
January 12th, 2017 at 8:58 pm
Free agent acquisitions will not be a problem this off season.
We will get seed 1 or 2 next year in the playoffs.
Lets gift Smitty with some run stopping DT’s.
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 12th, 2017 at 8:59 pm
Tony in Los Angeles and StPete nailed it.
I’ll just add that smitty proved he is a man of honor.
January 12th, 2017 at 9:04 pm
We will win and own the NFC South next year!!!!!!
January 12th, 2017 at 9:11 pm
@914… I think you are on to something. A big name free agent will now want to come. They saw the guys on D got things rolling and were having fun.
January 12th, 2017 at 9:11 pm
Will JPP actually be available?
January 12th, 2017 at 9:14 pm
If Lict lands JPP, we can skip dline in round One. Oline is needed, but good oline can be had in 2-3.
So that leaves WR or RB in that scenario.
January 12th, 2017 at 9:14 pm
WOW! !!
JUST WOW!!!!!!
THIS IS SO AMAZING AND THAT’S WHY I’M SHOUTING IN ALL CAPS!!!!
January 12th, 2017 at 9:20 pm
This is amazing!
I think keeping mike smith is more valuable than any player we could sign or draft this offseason
Thank you football gods!!!!
January 12th, 2017 at 9:22 pm
You Lie Joe!! Mike Smith was never in the running for any LA Job.
January 12th, 2017 at 9:23 pm
@ raw bucs fan
HE11 NO on the b#tthole and crotch grabbing dt from clemson. If U Don’t know what I’m talking about just type his name into youtube and be disgusted.
January 12th, 2017 at 9:29 pm
Fantastic, we won’t have to hear the new very legitimate “players learning a new defense” excuse again this year. Can’t wait to see how Mike Smith builds on finally figuring out how to use David in week 17.
January 12th, 2017 at 9:31 pm
Great news! Glad coach Smitty is coming back! YES!
Joe, “All this really means is Smith will be in town one more season”
Was Coach Smith really only on a one year contract? Why not sign him for a three year deal if he opts out of it year 2 we have had him as DC for two seasons.
I hope he stays and builds his/our defense for longer than two years but I know he wants to be a HC again.
Glad we have the same D again next season. Looking forward to seeing how good we can be with another season in coach Smiths defense.
January 12th, 2017 at 9:47 pm
Awesome!
January 12th, 2017 at 10:04 pm
He’ll be in Indy or Balt next year
January 12th, 2017 at 10:16 pm
Smiling here in Atlanta! Way to go Bucs!
January 12th, 2017 at 10:17 pm
I hope this isnt a 1 yr extension. I hope Smith was talked into being asst HC and staying for the long haul. Well, i could dream.
January 12th, 2017 at 10:19 pm
@Delson–please try to make your comment, at least, remotely understandable. I guarantee you it would much more interesting for the reader if we knew what you were talking about.
January 12th, 2017 at 11:00 pm
He is waiting for the colts or ravens job next year groom smiths replacement for 2018 now!
January 12th, 2017 at 11:04 pm
Great news. I second that, TruBuc. Our secondary was a major improvement this season. As long as Smith is here we’ll continue to get the best of Grimes and also develope HG3. Mike Smith and Jay Hayes can definitely coach up a playoff caliber defense. I really like our coaching staff for the first time in a while. Not quite Gruden and Monte level, buy close; and we’ve got Licht who is in a pivotal off season of his rebuilding process.
January 12th, 2017 at 11:04 pm
Great news.
Go Bucs!
January 12th, 2017 at 11:09 pm
Fkn Awesome!!
Now get moving on that next DE and NT we need to send this D line soaring!
January 12th, 2017 at 11:12 pm
This is a welcome change. Usually I’m the optimistic one but the majority of posters are optimistic on M Smith while I’m blase with it.
January 12th, 2017 at 11:32 pm
Love it
January 12th, 2017 at 11:37 pm
Joe Says:
January 12th, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Who wants to be the HC of a second LA team that nobody cares about.
Will give you roughly four million reasons ($$$).
It’s not always about the money. Unless there’s evidence to the contrary I’d like to think he saw the flaming bag of dogsht on the LA porch and decided another year in Tampa is a pretty good deal.
January 13th, 2017 at 12:12 am
Sweeeeeeeeeeet! Licht gonna build through the draft and the Glazers are ready to spend big time money this year. This D could be nasty.
January 13th, 2017 at 12:21 am
Wow !!!!!!! This is huge news!!!!!!! Best off season move that the Bucs could possibly do!!!!!
Another year for the Great coach Smitty to fall in love with the area!!!!!
Go bucs!!!!!!!!
January 13th, 2017 at 12:25 am
Great day to be a Buc fan. I don’t know much about football. BS! I see all you so called fans forgot about our pass rushers on IR. I’m not talking about George Johnson either. I’m talking about Jack and Howard paired with Noah and Russell. I think we good on the Dline because y’all forgot about how much pass rush we had from them two guys. I remember Jack throwing 64 from the Aints to the turf and he twice his size. Howard provided speed off the edge before Noah got here. Recognize Game!
Resign Wil Golston but make him a DT because he can only bull rush no pass rush ability at all. I said I hope Hayes can teach him how to use them long arms. In 4 years I have yet to see him do anything but bull rush, no rip no dip no swim move no nothing from this dude. Let’s hope he can collapse a pocket or two and hopes it not the glazers.
January 13th, 2017 at 12:43 am
I agree with all the fans that said we should pick up Pryor. Here a few reasons why. Pryor and Evans are already cool. Remember that picture Joe in the offseason with Mike, Pryor and I forgot the other two dudes but they worked with Randy Moss. We got the dunkeneers back. We can ditch the 3 QB perspective, we can do trick plays. Between Famous, Shep, Blake and Pryor we can dial up some awesome things. Plus we can save money draft picks and cap space. Recognize Game!
Cardelle Patterson please he tired of that cold weather. Josh Robinson is his old teammate so he will be comfortable on special teams with him. Thanks Jason
January 13th, 2017 at 1:47 am
32/36 279 yards. 23 rushes for 159 yards those are career days even for a vet. Ya’ll remember case keenum kirk cousins derek anderson? Those were lovie smith’s superstars. 32 out of 36 let that sink in. Idk how much the nfl paid the cowboys to keep that game close but that game was fishy. Jason witten runs straight outta bounds at the half with 15 yards of open field. Dan bailey misses wide lol that game was embarrassing.
January 13th, 2017 at 3:06 am
thank you Mike Smith
January 13th, 2017 at 8:33 am
OK Mr. Smith is back…….didn’t think he was going anywhere anyway…..nobody wanted him, but now he gets the opportunity to make us a Top 10 over-all DEFENCE!!! I expect that from the Great Coach Smith!!
January 13th, 2017 at 9:05 am
@ Mike Evans GOAT Christian Wilkins #42is the crotch grabber not Carlos Watkins #94
January 13th, 2017 at 9:19 am
Easy @BigHog
This is great news damn you lol
C’mon man
January 13th, 2017 at 9:38 am
@WhatdaBUCisthis: One should always kick the tires on any opportunity…..I just didn’t think he was going anywhere! Him remaining with the Bucs lets us keep the continuity flowing, Top 10 Over-All DEFENCE (2017), I like #7!!
January 13th, 2017 at 1:39 pm
in a year where veteran coaches like jeff fisher and john fox led their teams to awful seasons, teams reacted by almost completely ignoring experienced (or “retread” depending on your point of view) head coaches in favor of guys with perceived upside. more than one of these young coaches that was recently hired will look to be in way over their head next year, and the uber-reactive NFL hiring trends will probably start favoring guys with HC experience on their resume again.