Todd Monken: Truth Doctor
April 17th, 2018
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken is going full-time in his role this year, and that means he’ll be spreading his in-your-face brand of coaching to more players.
It certainly worked for the Buccaneers’ receiving corps.
Monken is a very hands-on coach with an extremely direct style of communication, one that’s clearly natural to him and delivered with authenticity players appreciate.
Joe asked America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, yesterday about what he thinks of more face-time with Monken this season. Jameis said Monken is one of his favorite coaches and dropped a version of one of his favorite phrases: “Real recognize real.”
“The main thing I like about him is he’s a realist. He’s going to come at you straight, he [isn’t] going to lie to you, he [isn’t] going to try to beat around the bush. He’s going to be real about you and he’s going to find a way to teach you. He’s a great teacher so I’m looking forward to working with him more.”
During the riveting Cameron Brate interview on today’s Ira Kaufman Podcast, Brate also echoed the honesty and easy candor in Monken’s coaching game.
It’s interesting, Brate and Jameis quickly note how honest and direct Monken is. Do they deal with coaches who are not? Dirk Koetter is one of the most candid guys in the NFL. Perhaps he’s just less direct than Monken?
Regardless, the fresh player commentary on Monken sheds light on just how powerful a voice Monken can be with this team.
Joe would love to see Monken be all over Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet on the left side of the offensive line. It would be great to see those two get after it like rabid dogs on every snap.
April 17th, 2018 at 1:22 pm
@Joe … “Joe would love to see Monken be all over Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet on the left side of the offensive line.” Hold onto that dream Joe. Ali is a Right Guard, and that’s where he’ll be playing this year IMO. Also, still don’t see Todd Monken as the OC. It’d be a different story if Capt Dirk let him run the offensive ship, but since Koetter is still calling plays, Monken is OC in name only fas as I’m concerned. You don’t learn to drive by sitting in the back seat & watching.
April 17th, 2018 at 1:23 pm
Jameis has always taken an “in your face” style of coaching better so I think this is a good thing. I like Monkens style of in your face honesty, we just need to see the results.
April 17th, 2018 at 1:28 pm
@ defense rules.
you absolutely learn to drive while in the back seat watching.
You learn to be a backseat driver.
April 17th, 2018 at 1:28 pm
“Dirk Koetter is one of the most candid guys in the NFL. Perhaps he’s just less direct than Monken?”
Dirk may be candid, I guess. What’s more concerning are the things he does not do well as a head coach.. You can be candid all day, but if you don’t know how to run a training camp, or manage the clock in crucial game time situations, or you keep a DC who is terrible just because you are buds..all the candor in the world won’t do anybody any good.
If Monken keeps it real, well then thank God somebody at OBP is trying.”The NFL is a results based business”
April 17th, 2018 at 1:37 pm
we’ll see……don’t tell me…..show me!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
April 17th, 2018 at 1:39 pm
Short yardage runs to the left side with OJ, Smith, Marpet blocking. I like our chances.
April 17th, 2018 at 1:44 pm
I believe Andrew Weidinger is the coach for game management. I’ve seen Dirk override the guy on occasion but some of the blame and/or credit has to be on him.
April 17th, 2018 at 1:50 pm
Super Bowl champ Jim Swartz your 2019 head coach
April 17th, 2018 at 1:51 pm
Someone who has a good defense this decade unlike the last 2 Smith ran defenses
April 17th, 2018 at 1:54 pm
So they are finally going to let this receiver coach in the QB meetings?
Monken “the artist formerly known as an offensive coordinator” during Hard Knocks never was in the QB meetings
Monken and QB coach Mike Kardasian (kimme), is by far the worst and least experienced NFL qualified coaches ever
April 17th, 2018 at 1:55 pm
Stan
You are correct. It still proves the point though. Wasn’t Weidinger assigned that job because DK couldnt keep up? I think it was after the Rams “lightning” game.
So we assigned a guy to help with the decisions and it still gets jacked up? I don’t see that happen much with other teams, especially not winning ones.
April 17th, 2018 at 1:59 pm
I dunno, I look at this guys career and I have to ask whether this is really the best you can do with your franchise QB.
Pretty pedestrian.
But, I guess Dirk is the real OC, but that doesn’t give me much solace either.
April 17th, 2018 at 2:00 pm
At least he was candid about needing help managing the clock.. SMH
April 17th, 2018 at 2:01 pm
@passthebuc … “You learn to be a backseat driver.” LOL. I see my wife’s reputation for being a backseat driver is spreading. Oh well, not as bad as listening to her whimpering as I play dodge ’em cars in Atlanta every couple of months. I-285 & I-85 are real thrillers.
April 17th, 2018 at 2:23 pm
I’ve never liked Monken. I don’t think he has the skills set required for the NFL. And that..Get in your face methodology only goes so far with professional players.
However, I do wish him well. Only time will tell. But I expect some push back from certain players if he goes to far…..And he does have that trait….
April 17th, 2018 at 2:38 pm
Andrew Weidinger Has been with the Bucs since 2015 as quality control coach and in May 2016 became game manager coach and now he us asst WR coach and game manager coach
April 17th, 2018 at 2:46 pm
OK Stan,
And?
April 17th, 2018 at 2:52 pm
So Dirk has had a game manager since he’s been head coach.
There’s a good article I just read discussing how even the best coaches are humbled by game management. I believe that’s the title and it was by NY TIMES. Check it out I found it very informative.
April 17th, 2018 at 2:58 pm
JMark.
Btw I share your frustration with poor game management and poor play calling but I saw improvement in both later in the season last year. I hope that this growth continues going forward.
April 17th, 2018 at 3:18 pm
Well Stan, we all hope for that.. DK is going to have to make great strides this year if he is going to be a head coach
April 17th, 2018 at 3:26 pm
GUZZIE
YES PLEASE!!!!!!!…..
his defense was nasty when he was HC in Detroit…..his team was undisciplined but I think he’s learned from that…..
either way, I rather have a hard nose bad ass undisciplined team that makes the playoffs vs a soft undisciplined team out of the playoffs…..
imo, you can teach discipline, you cant teach toughness…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
April 17th, 2018 at 3:45 pm
Why not let Monken work with all fantastic young CBs that would be eventual HOF players if our Defensive Back Coaches knew what they were doing…..(sarcasm)
April 17th, 2018 at 4:11 pm
Monken is GREAT! I believe he is a detail and execution oriented coach that will greatly reduce the number of stupid mistakes. The only thing that he may be too focused on explosive plays. He claims we don’t need another 5 yard play. In my book 2 out of 3…5 yard plays gives you a first down every time. However, I get his point that you need explosives because it stacks the deck in your favor and its unrealistic to expect to make 5 yards each play.
April 17th, 2018 at 4:20 pm
This offense needs to develop a new mentality. They have enough talent to score 35 points a game and they play like a touchdown is an endangered species. They stop themselves more often than the opposing defensive. Monken will help a lot…just look what he did for dropped pass.
April 17th, 2018 at 4:55 pm
D.R.
I thought my wife was the worst back seat driver. lol
I do not envy you banging around in Atlanta traffic. We now drive an extra hour or two to our summer home just so we can go west and miss both Atlanta and Cincinnati traffic.
I always try and time our trips to miss rush hours in the big cities. One year a late start put us just south of the Atlantic traffic at 4PM. Yikes! I thought we were hosed. We simply stay on I-75 because the circle “expressways” are just as crowded and a lot farther.
So as soon as the Interstate expanded and included the HOV lane we moved into that lane. People were doing 80-85 miles an hour and it was bumper to bumper. I thought I was on a super-speedway and drafting like an Earnhardt.
While my stomach was in knots…sweaty palms…I “drafted” my way through Atlanta in record time. I would never have the nerve to shoot through there at 80mph but I was forced to by the Hotlanta traffic. I knew one crash and it was over for all of us but I had no choice.
April 17th, 2018 at 6:08 pm
Monken is a very hands-on coach with an extremely direct style of communication, one that’s clearly natural to him and delivered with authenticity players appreciate.
Sounds just like my drill instructor.
April 17th, 2018 at 6:28 pm
My D.I.’s favorite name for us was “meat”. Cmon “meat” you can do better than that.
I can understand why #3 likes that kind of coaching. I have fond memories of basic training and the no BS drill sergeants.
And we were the lowest…lower than whale sh!t and that’s the lowest thing on earth at the bottom of the ocean.
April 17th, 2018 at 7:50 pm
Whichever Joe keeps calling Winston America’s QB needs to be more realistic. In 8 months time unless he proves himself, he’s going to have more questions about his future than anyone currently working for Trump in the white house. So far Winston is the bay area’s QB, and that’s not certain to be a long term thing. He’s a 24 year old kid who’s only proven that he’s capable of good and bad games, but nothing that wins over a legion of pro football fans.
April 18th, 2018 at 6:44 am
Pretty late to comment on this thread,but it is remarkable how many cars
“my Wife” can be in at one time.
April 18th, 2018 at 8:20 am
I like monken and he can run a offense I believe,he did a very good job in college.the only way to know if he can do it against the big boys in the NFL is to let him try it starting in the preseason. Regardless of what some people say,Dirk is a good oc but I would like to see monken call a few games in preseason and if the offense puts it in the end zone let him continue.we have to score touchdowns and I don’t know why that is so difficult with the talent we have.