Dirk Koetter Offers A Farewell To Fans
December 28th, 2018
The final seconds of Dirk Koetter’s weekly Buccaneers Radio Network show were ticking off tonight and the head coach said goodbye to listeners.
Koetter didn’t offer inspiring words for the offseason as the show’s exit kicked in. He didn’t rally fans for the final home game.
Instead, the head coach expressed thanks to all fans who shot him questions through the season-long show via various online mediums and phone calls. He thanked host Casey Phillips and said goodbye like a man who won’t be returning for a fourth season — on his show or in the head coach office at One Buc Palace.
“Whether I’m here or not, I’m always going to be a Buc fan,” Koetter said.
Earlier in the program, Koetter laughed on two different occasions when fans brought up the subject of his job security.
He also offered a bizarre answer to a fan who asked what his favorite moment of the season was. “It’s still to come on Sunday at about 4 o’clock,” Koetter said.
Throughout the broadcast, Koetter acted like a man who knows he’s about to get fired. “I’m sure next week we’re going to find out what’s going to happen moving forward,” he said about his job. … “I’d love to get another year. … I also understand the business side of it.”
“We hope we’ll have that opportunity. … That’s something that will be decided by ownership.”
For Joe, the impending end of the Koetter era was obvious after the debacle on the road against the Giants, a debacle that included starting Ryan Fitzpatrick after the Bucs scored three points at home the previous Sunday against the Redskins.
Koetter will have earned his firing. The man is 11-23 since the Bucs’ five-game winning streak of 2016.
December 28th, 2018 at 6:53 pm
Fire licht first. Getting rid of koetter and keeping licht is stupid
December 28th, 2018 at 6:53 pm
It’s a shame.
Perfect mixture of blunders from GM, Coaches and players.
There’s franchises that rarely have this much continuity and potential and the Bucs couldn’t do a damn thing with it.
#itsabucslife
December 28th, 2018 at 6:54 pm
Sure sounds like he was told weeks ago by the Glazers.
The NFL is not the “good people” business…it’s simply the Win’s and Losses business one signs up for.
JOHN Harbaugh!!
December 28th, 2018 at 6:55 pm
Are these going straight through?
December 28th, 2018 at 6:58 pm
Well played very classy!
December 28th, 2018 at 6:59 pm
Light needs to be the 1st out the door..
December 28th, 2018 at 7:03 pm
It would be really cool to see Dirk Koetter go out the same way that he came in, and that’s with a win over the Atlanta Falcons.
December 28th, 2018 at 7:04 pm
Excited to move on from dirk, but he seems like a good dude. He’s going to have success as an OC wherever he goes. I just don’t think HC is for him. Best of luck Dirk
December 28th, 2018 at 7:05 pm
When he was hired I had hoped for 7-10 years of Winston/Koetter. What the hell happened?
December 28th, 2018 at 7:05 pm
Nothing surprises me with the Glazers. I expect he will be fired but, I would not be surprised if they keep him.
December 28th, 2018 at 7:06 pm
…and the losing will continue as Jameis now has to learn a whole new playbook. Fours years in and he still hasn’t even come close to mastering Koetters. This is a mistake and this team will never be relevant as long as we stay on this carousel. Goodbye coach Koetter, and go out and prove this awful franchise has made another crucial mistake. I’m sure where you end up will be better than here, and I’m sure we’ll see you in the post season before we even sniff a winning season.
December 28th, 2018 at 7:11 pm
Koetter the man is awesome koetter as head coach of the Bucs not so much
December 28th, 2018 at 7:12 pm
Nobody wants to see a man lose his job. I do beleive Dirk would have finshed at least 8-8 had he just fired Smitty before the season began. Not many NFl teams would have kept their Dc after an embarassing season like that. But Dirk did. The Glazers finally made him pull the plug or Smitty would be here going down with the ship along side Koetter. Good Luck Dirk. We all know you will land safely and secure. You carried yourself well as an NFL HC. Ok Glazers..Don’t screw this up next year!!
December 28th, 2018 at 7:16 pm
“doesnt have the decisive personality to be Head coach and lead men thru the ups and downs of a long football season
back to boise state smurf turf”
Kobe Faker
December 28th, 2018 at 7:19 pm
I think who ever the Bucs bring in as HC will have the same offensive philosophy. Monken may still be around. but we all know the defense is gonna be blown up. wish Koetter well he will be a OC some where next year.
December 28th, 2018 at 7:21 pm
Like the Terminator…..He’ll be back !
One More Year Coach Hoppers
Why arn’t we talking about Jameis’s 5th year option ?
December 28th, 2018 at 7:25 pm
“There is no mystery in football. Everyone is trying to copy and find any and whatever edge they can do to win
Its a NOT FOR LONG league. NFL(revenue&ratings)) is king in america
the old is quickly discarded and the new flavor is the new rage
Klueless schemes dont work against the modern defenses
just like Mike Martz, Klueless is going WWE with Vince McMahon”
“Thats what im talking about brother!”
Kobe “doing the Rick Flair Strut” Faker
“Wooooo!”
December 28th, 2018 at 7:35 pm
I hope he stays so just to piss off the “Bucs Mob” or the “Stick Carriers” …what are they called again? Oh yea, it will change again when they need to sell more memorabilia near draft time.
P.S. Joe is banking good money too when it’s time to change coaches and he loves Winston because his antics and off the field behavior sells good. Reality check! Coaching change brings hope and excitement, yes, but coaching change completely alienates a percentage of the fan base, and then they check out for good. To translate: Joe would love to have the next head coach last for 15 years. As for blasting the Bucs Mob/Stick Carriers, why attack fellow fans that have crafted an informal group with no membership fee? Are there really people that stand against T-shirts? Joe is certain you’d have a blast at the 2019 draft party, which is sure to eclipse the 700+ out there last year. –Joe
December 28th, 2018 at 7:40 pm
Dirk Koetter’s foray into the HC arena was doomed from the very start IMO. Never been a NFL HC before, so what do the Glazers & Licht do? They dual-hatted him as the OC AND saddled him with some marginal starting talent, a bunch of youngsters to develop, and mediocre depth … and doomed him in the process. I seriously doubt that Vince Lombardi could’ve had winning seasons given the same resources & responsibilities that Koetter had.
Dirk Koetter’s shown me that he’s a class act & I applaud him for that. Unlike many JBFers, I also applaud him for staying loyal to Mike Smith. I’m convinced Dirk knew better than most that you have to have the horses to win the race, and the Bucs simply haven’t had them … on defense or on offense or S/Ts. Bucs are a poorly designed team with too many weaknesses. Exceptional coaching can compensate for some weaknesses, but eventually lack of talent catches up to you. It caught up to Smitty, and now it’s caught up to Dirk. The real travesty of all this is if the Architect of this mess survives.
December 28th, 2018 at 7:46 pm
Either Koetter or Jamies has to go, both can’t stay
But Licht definitely should be fired
-Black Monday = Christmas gifts for Bucs fans
December 28th, 2018 at 7:50 pm
stick carriers- women who now carry a club in case Winston is nearby
December 28th, 2018 at 7:51 pm
In hindsight, the end of the season began after news surfaced about JW’s suspension. Yes, the Bucs started the season off well, but Fitzmagic was just unsustainable. The vacillation between Fitz and JW left the team deflated. The nail in the coffin was Kwon’s injury. The locker room did not have enough leaders, and the team never recovered. Another long off season program.
December 28th, 2018 at 7:52 pm
Sure Dirk deserves to be fired but Joe REALLY??? You don’t think that with a 27-52 record Jason Gump doesn’t deserve to be fired right along with Koetter?? For the life of me I could NEVER understand why Joe doesn’t come out and call for the GMs head as forcefully as he has called for Dirks head! I honestly have to wonder what Joe is afraid of when it comes to Jason Gump. Where there is smoke there is fire and the smoke is thick!!
December 28th, 2018 at 7:53 pm
Look, I hate to start over too, but koetter is not a good head coach … I’m Not sure about lighct either
December 28th, 2018 at 7:56 pm
Thanks Koetter for bringing a great offense to Tampa
Sorry our defense, special teams, and quarterback are an embarrassment
My sincere apologies,
-Bucs Fan #7423
December 28th, 2018 at 7:56 pm
DISPARATE TIMES CALLS FOR DESPERATE MEASURES
JASON GUMP STAYS, KOBE FAKER GOES
Kobe has called for accountability and awareness to the true reason of the Tampa Bay Bucs continuous suckiness in the past 5 years
The blame goes solely to the one who was in charge of the groceries and the talent and lack of talent level in this bottom 3 franchise
“There is no greater love than one that gives his posting life in behalf of his brothers
3 days 6 hours and change”
Kobe Faker
December 28th, 2018 at 8:02 pm
The fans want nothing less than a “Clean” house
Bring out the brooms, Glazers
And get to cleaning!
December 28th, 2018 at 8:02 pm
Hopefully Koetter takes Light and Winston with him. Not one of them is more or less responsible than the other two. All three are losers and all three need to go.
December 28th, 2018 at 8:16 pm
… weak as always, message to Glazers, asking mercy…. one more year…. fire him and the rest of the incapable people in one buc place….start fresh…
go Bucs!
December 28th, 2018 at 8:21 pm
Bout all I can say is Koetter built the best offense Bucs have ever had. Ownership has been weak for years and is the problem. Licht is not the problem but according to the leading ‘lights’ on here, he needs to be canned, too. Bucs will win Sunday but so what according to this blog.
December 28th, 2018 at 8:22 pm
Anyone who trusts the Glazers to make a good coaching decision is a 100 percent sucker. You guys can fall for it and get all excited and tingly. The Glazers will continue to make us all look like fools.
December 28th, 2018 at 8:30 pm
Weak coach. weak practices, weak team !
December 28th, 2018 at 8:33 pm
Stinks that ravens are keeping Harbaugh and panthers keeping river boat.
I like Koetter and Licht but think it’s time for a change
It’s Not working.
The product on the field is que terrible and people are not going to games
Except me from Orlando and never been offered free parking pass as season ticket holder for years. Sucks
December 28th, 2018 at 8:35 pm
Reality check! Coaching change brings hope and excitement, yes, but coaching change completely alienates a percentage of the fan base, and then they check out for good. To translate: Joe would love to have the next head coach last for 15 years. As for blasting the Bucs Mob/Stick Carriers, why attack fellow fans that have crafted an informal group with no membership fee? Are there really people that stand against T-shirts? Joe is certain you’d have a blast at the 2019 draft party, which is sure to eclipse the 700+ out there last year. –Joe
******
LOL.
1. Let me address them appropriately (since the Stick Carrier shirts started selling short) is it Stick Carrier or Bucs Mob?
2. Are you telling me that most of your promotion of Winston isn’t because it drives viewers to your page? C’mon man. Like 15% of Tampa likes Winston at this point, why else?
3. Both the changing of coaches and a toxic QB is great for business.
December 28th, 2018 at 8:36 pm
@ Kobe Faker what a laugh! You go if Licht doesn’t ? You did not honor that before and showed you are the fake you are!
December 28th, 2018 at 8:43 pm
Mike McCarthy made Aaron Rodgers and made Farve better at the end of his Packers tenure. 125-77-2 record. 10-8 playoffs. 1 Super Bowl Championship. Made the playoffs 9 out of 13 years. Only 3 losing seasons in 13 years. We would be lucky as Bucs fans and as a Franchise to have that type of coach and success. Go get Mike McCarthy. Go BUCS!
December 28th, 2018 at 8:46 pm
Joe here’s a question for you. I see Harbaugh is under contract for 1 more year with the Ravens if he doesn’t sign an extension. what do you think would be a decent compensation for the Bucs for Harbaugh and is he a good fit for Tampa
December 28th, 2018 at 8:51 pm
Getting fired during the holiday season is below average but IMHO Koetter is lucky he did not get jettisoned after either the Bears game or the Falcons game after Mikey Smith made absolutely no adjustments to help stop opponents from racking up 30 points in a half via his sieve of a defense. The Glazers gave the guy every opportunity to right the ship and he simply squandered them. As for as change: well how can it have been worse? Perhaps paying Chuckie $10 million a year for 10 years might have been worse especially when one notes that Oakland is on of the few franchises that are currently in worse shape than Tampa.
Given the track record of the lads I am afraid that Gman is probably right, the better coaching candidates will likely get hired in NY, Denver, Carolina and even Cleveland while the Bucs will be fighting for the best 2nd tier candidate with Arizona and possibly Detroit if they ax South Padre Patricia. Perhaps the Glazers could trade for Riverboat Ron or they go out and hire someone like Bill Cowher to act as President of operations but lets face it. The franchise has not made too many good decisions since Malcolm had the stroke and the above said lads started calling the shots……
As for Licht, the argument could be made that he did bring in some talent but the coaches had not utilized it properly but all those wasted second round picks, the kicker situation and the hole 2016 draft resulting in absolutely nada in terms of NFL talent tells me that you have to look at his record and say 28 dash 52, hmm that’s 5-11 or 6 dash 10 a year on average which simply does not cut it. Blow up the front office along with the coaching staff but do it quickly!
BTW, most people are picking a Buc loss but the ATL just might out tank the Bucs and as Dotson said that the players are playing for themselves and that includes getting a W which of course will move the Bucs from 5th to 10th or 11th in draft order. That is something that the Bucs could probably do; win an irrelevant game to a fellow bottom feeder. 1988 they lost to Detroit and got Broderick Thomas instead of Barry Sanders, Neon Deion or Derrick Thomas. 2006 they beat Cleveland and watched the Browns get cornerstone Joe Thomas and the Lions Megatron while Chuckie settled for Gaines Adams. Last year the Bucs and Jameis in particular went off Koetter’s play script to let the kicker lose the game and actually beat a good Saints team. This cost the Bucs either Bradley Chubb or Quenton Nelson and also might have bought Koetter and his staff another year. Thus, yeah, if losing benefits the Bucs on Sunday, then the Falcons will find a way to let the Bucs win so I hope the new GM knows what he is doing and doesn’t go Dominick or Licht next April……
December 28th, 2018 at 8:51 pm
Many here say keep Dirk. But you gotta remember..this is a bIZ.
And the fans have given up on the coaching staff and even the GM. The Glazers want to keep that nice cash flow and increase it. So they gotta give the fans some hope..some sense of anticipation..something new. DIRK IS HISTORY!
December 28th, 2018 at 8:59 pm
Anyone who couldn’t see that Dirk and Jason weren’t the guys to turn this franchise around by last year are blind and slow.
Right now Realist reigns as king of the blind and slow idiots. The guy is still defending Mike Smith for god’s sake! This is a man who is not quite right in the head.
December 28th, 2018 at 9:04 pm
If and huge if Koetter would return how soon would they take QB in draft? If Koetter come back no way ATM does.
December 28th, 2018 at 9:10 pm
Be careful what you wish for as you might just get it. If you think it can’t get worse, than you haven’t followed the Bucs.
December 28th, 2018 at 9:21 pm
Plzz bump koetter back to o.c an bring in a HC an new asst an new DC unless duff is the answer which he might be if he had a offseason to have these guys prepared I think he’s done a great job in the situation he was thrown into go Bucs
December 28th, 2018 at 9:22 pm
Ultimately Koetter got fired bc of his loyalty which is commendable. He stuck by his coaching staff even though they weren’t getting it done starting with Smith, Bajakin and Wharthop (whatever his name is) and let’s not forget the special teams coach.
He didn’t instill any confidence on the sidelines, never knowing when to challenge plays or go off on refs for bad calls or showing much if any passion at all.
Maybe you’ll see Koetter in Tenn next year or Jax if they somehow manage to steal Blane Gabbret from the Titans. Hehe. Get it Blane Gabbret?
December 28th, 2018 at 9:48 pm
You can not eradicate the cancer of losing from this franchise by only cutting out part of the problem. The whole disease needs to go. That means Licht and Koetter should be brought into the same room and told the same thing – you each failed to do your job, you’ve built a culture of losing, pack your sh1t and get out.
December 28th, 2018 at 10:01 pm
My question for all Bucs fans is do you think Aaron Rodgers is a good QB?
December 28th, 2018 at 10:11 pm
If the answer to my question above is yes then ask yourself why they only have 6 wins this year?
December 28th, 2018 at 10:18 pm
You mean to tell me one of, if not the best QB, in the league can’t win with a coach that lost control, no run game, a bad defense and a inconsistent kicker? Wow that is shocking.
December 28th, 2018 at 10:21 pm
Ndog- explaining Rodgers having six wins it’s “reasons”
For some reason explaining Jameis having 5 is “excuses”
Crazy double standard
I just read a week ago Rodgers leads the league in incompletions and what they called “bad plays”.
December 28th, 2018 at 10:26 pm
@DB55
Totally agree. His loyalty to coach’s and players was what did him in. Good guy, good OC just not a great HC.
December 28th, 2018 at 10:38 pm
Congrats joe. Went to pro football talk first. And there was this story. As a top headline and even had comments. With your name dropped at least twice. So you should get 30 more hits. Since it is a bucs related story only 1/10000 of the pro football talk crowd will read it.
But as for koetter I really don’t think there is a better candidate out there. You can’t just change coaches to change. If one of the One or two better coaches want to come here you pull the trigger. If not you fire Licht and move on. Because let’s face it if koetter goes Licht goes. And I honestly think this teams record is more on Licht than koetter. C.J. Anderson was available at the beginning of the year and at the middle of the year. And yet you don’t touch him. And all he does is rush for 125 last Sunday. The running backs and musical chairs at guard are two big ones on my list of failures. I get the kicker even though he was drafted way to high. I was happy as a bucs fan with that pick thought we didn’t have to worry about are kicker again for 15 years. It just seems like him and koetter aren’t on the same page. He drafts who he thinks fits the team instead of players that actually fit Koetters scheme.
But I feel koetter is the type to not say anything and let Jason draft players that don’t fit his scheme and just say I will try to make it work. I think he is a great coordinator. Just doesn’t have the balls to be a head coach and make the tuff decisions. Just let’s problems fester hoping they will go away. Like Jackson if everything we are hearing is true he should have been released immediately or trade for a conditional 7th round pick. I want to have a coach that will cal a guy out. Not calling a guy out by saying jameis needs to cut down the turnovers and we all know that. But say jameis will not be a qb in this league or on my team if he continues this. I always got the feeling with how he addresses the media and says the bucs will be here long after I’m gone and stuff like that instead of saying he is the bucs. He is the head coach you are the captain of the bucs. Not just some employee he talks like he is just a janitor for the bucs instead of the man in charge.
But after hearing this I think he should be fired. He isn’t even trying to stand up for his job. I would be saying look we started the year without are starting quarterback. Are quarterbacks led the league in turnovers and yet we still have a top 5 offense. I did the best I could do in this situation. And I can’t wait until next year to get some more needed pieces to get us over the hill and into the playoffs. If the bucs bring me back I will reward them and this city with a playoff team. The defense was horrible and that was on me for letting smith stay around to long. I’m going to talk to Licht and make sure we are on the same page as to what players we need through the draft and free agency to get us there. So bucs fans I will see you nest year and we will be playing in January. And hopefully February. Not I hope they bring me back I have no control I would like to be back but I don’t get to make that call.
December 28th, 2018 at 10:45 pm
Dang!
December 28th, 2018 at 11:00 pm
You so called fans that keep hoping for players and coaches we let go. To go have success somewhere else and say they will win playoff games and such when they leave this dumpster team are fake fans. I’m sick of hearing these comments. So just hold on to players and coaches that have been mediocre here for 4 plus years. If they couldn’t get it done here in 4 years what we just resign them and keep hoping year after year it finally clicks. You all seem to forget that many of coaches since koetter was hired have came into teams with bad records and in there first year have that team in the playoffs. You can’t just keep doing the same thing if it isn’t working. Will I be mad if we get rid of jameis,koetter,Mccoy, or Jackson and they all win a super bowl next year he’ll no. They weren’t going to do it here they had 4 years to do it and they have a well below 500 record. Maybe are next coach just clicks with winston and we go on a ten year run of greatness. It doesn’t take much to tip the scale in the nfl. As we bucs fans know. Look at how many games we have lost over the last ten years that a play here or there we could have one. Each year I can go back and look at 4-5 games we should have won if the defense/offense makes a play. And we would have made the playoffs a couple of years if that happens. But just something is off with this koetter led team. We seam unprepared to many games. You can count on 2-3 times a year getting a beat down. 3-5 times a year being down by 2–4 scores before halftime. When do we ever come out prepared and look up at the scoreboard and be up 21. It’s like if are defense finally starts shutting a team down are offense can’t get a first down and we get beat 13-6. And if are offense comes out firing are defense can’t atop anybody and we lose 38-35. Never do we just put a complet game together and beat someone 38-17 or 27-10. No we miss field goals, get crucial drive killing turnovers, dropped passes, stupid interceptions, blown coverages, or the one that gets me the most the drive killing toss on 2and 4 for a 6 yard loss. Why are we doing a toss with one of the slowest running backs in the league and a shake offensive line. I hope koetter learns how to design a slant play next team he is on. I mean you have a 6”5 receiver weighing 235 who runs like a deer and has a catch radius of soccer goal. And yet the next time mike catches a quick slant will be his first one. That should be a give me play on 2nd and 4. And then that would set them up for the double move the loom off for the tight end on a seam route when the linebacker bites on the slant. But no creativity. Just deep curls and back shoulder jump balls oh and deep slants that either get the receiver killed or a linebacker underneath intercepts because they have seen that play on film all week. Sorry for the rant but I am a die hard who is at his wits end. And don’t really know who to blend for this continued basement dwelling. Read an article on ESPN by Jenna lain forget what it was about but the biggest thing I got from the story was a one liner that had nothing to do with the story. This will be the bucs 7th time in the last ten seasons with double digit losses. Have we really been that bad. I am always looking through rose colored glasses and never sat back and realized we were that bad. And one thing I suggest you guys do go back and look at the nfl drafts form 2010 to now. It will make you crack that bottle of expensive liquor when you see the players we could have drafted.
December 28th, 2018 at 11:12 pm
I think Koetter only gets fired if the owner thinks so. Who knows that. No one. They can change thier mind if the guy they want is taken You can’t fire Koetter if you have to hire a college coach or another coordinator
I’ll choose Koetter before Kris Richard. I’ll take my chances from a football stand point and make other coaching changes within the Koetter.
If I couldn’t get either Mike McCarthy, Bruce Arians, Mike Tomlin, or Jim Harbaugh from Michigan….. I’m keeping Koetter.
December 28th, 2018 at 11:24 pm
It’s not just a simple decision to keep him or fire him. Practically the entire assistant coaching staff has no contract for 2019. So you would have to sign them all up and commit for another 2 years. Not only that but some of them probably won’t stay even if Koetter is brought back. Todd Monken is even being mentioned as potential head coaching candidate with some teams.
Koetter also only has 1 year left on his deal. And he certainly hasn’t earned an extension. So do you go into the season with him being a lame duck? It will be difficult to find any decent defensive coordinator to come in here under those conditions.
It’s also beyond X’s and O’s. This team lacks discipline. This team has a losing culture and a losing mentality. You got a number of players on this team who have accepted that losing is acceptable. And this all starts with the head coach. He thinks lackluster play by the OLine is OK. He continues to defend Mike Smith’s defense. He obviously doesnt have control of the locker room. This is the psychology part of the equation that Koetter gets an F on. And it’s very unlikely to improve with another year. And as a fan that watches this team every week….you can feel it. You can feel that this team has accepted a losing culture.
And Ultimately, his loyalty to Mike Smith played a huge role in his downfall. Smith should have been fired at the end of last year. As a head coach, you need to set the tone of what is acceptable and what’s not. For too long, Koetter accepted failure. And it fed to the rest of the team. And that’s on him.
December 28th, 2018 at 11:37 pm
Jason licht has killed this guy
December 28th, 2018 at 11:49 pm
At this point it is hard. I feel like I have a relationship with Koetter. I am ready for the Bucs to make a change and have been for a year, but it is still hard. Good luck Dirk. I’m sure you will have many opportunities. Until, have a great time fly fishing and stay out of Lovie’s’ basement. Get back to being an OC, let the head coach take care of the defense and all of the players drama.
December 28th, 2018 at 11:54 pm
Dirk is a good guy. He just doesn’t have what it takes to be a HC in the NFL. I’m sure he’ll be successful as a OC wherever he ends up next. Best wishes to him.
December 29th, 2018 at 12:41 am
Read an article by Mike Florio mentioning jobucsfan and this article, Joe’s got connections and getting bigger, keep up the good work.
December 29th, 2018 at 1:40 am
PFT has mentioned JoeBucsFan many times that I have seen. Anything to fuel Florio’s feud with Koetter.
December 29th, 2018 at 1:42 am
This organization is…………unorganized.
A farce if you will.
December 29th, 2018 at 3:45 am
Bye Bye Dirk. Don’t let the door hit ur tail on the way out. I heard those OBC doors can be a bit light on the way out. How the heck Jason Licht ever got in them is a testament to the sad sack of crap the Bucs have been. Firrreeee Licht!
For the record, I’ve been released. It sucks. It’s an empty feeling that money can’t cure. Dirk, you tried, but Licht let you down. Firrrreee Licht!
But at least u got some bread out of the deal and a colonoscopy from the best proctologist in Tampa! Wish I had your insurance and money for being so bad and giving up. Jameis will be a better man without you and your vertical passing offense that FitzMagic thrived off of for 2 games. The worst 2 games in Bucs history. Koetter is a Jameis Basher. Good luck to you sir. I really mean it.
December 29th, 2018 at 4:15 am
I thank Dirk for his efforts. Unless your win the SB, it seems to be a thankless job (or with some moronic Buc fans, even if you are Gruden and actually do win a SB, you still don’t deserve any thanks. “Hey, no fair, he doesn’t deserve any credit. He won it with Dungy’s team! Anyone would have won it with Dungy’s team!” –What total BS.) Anyway, stay or go, best of luck, Dirk.
December 29th, 2018 at 4:37 am
@DestinJohnny … “Jason Licht has killed this guy.” Couldn’t agree more DJ. I look back to how Licht started here in 2014 & I shudder. Glazer Boyz snatched Lovie out of his Chicago basement to ‘bring back the good old days’ & gave him carte blanche to FIX THIS MESS (Schiano had pretty much lost the locker room by then). Don’t have any insider information, BUT it certainly appears that Lovie was the REAL GM at that point & that he hired Jason Licht to be his lapdog (captologist, whatever). Lovie was surely pulling the strings as he literally blew up the Bucs.
What’s bizarre (in hindsight) is that Lovie, a DEFENSIVE coach, focused on building the OFFENSE in 2014 & 2015 as opposed to building the defense. BOTH of those drafts were ALL OFFENSE, with the exception of Kwon in the 2014 4th Rnd. Major mistake obviously since our defense … our bread & butter since 1976 … went to pot. All that remains of 2014 draft is Mike Evans (it’s really hard to screw up a #7 pick).
The 2015 draft brought us Jameis, Ali, Donovan & Kwon … 4 starters for 4 years. Their development has been meh & none has become a true Pro Bowler (and the only one with a long term contract at this point is Marpet; the others are still Maybe’s). What I still can’t figure out is ‘Who pulled the strings in the 2015 draft, Lovie or Licht?’ IOW, had Licht wrestled control of the GM position from Lovie by that point?
The 2016 & 2017 drafts look like misguided attempts to regain some balance in our drafting, and are surely on Licht (6 defense, 6 offense, 1 K). Potentially 4 long-term starters out of those 2 years (OJ, Evans, Godwin, Beckwith) but only OJ has really stood out thus far IMO.
I’m not nearly as impressed with the Bucs 2014-2017 drafting as some are (yes Bonzai, I’m not nearly as impressed as you seem to be with Licht’s drafting), and I’m certainly not impressed with our FA additions over those 4 years. Our offense is underachieving (not a huge fan of marching bands UNTIL they cross the goal line & score POINTS & win games). Our defense is a disaster right now (even by Bucs standards, it’d rank at the bottom of the heap). Our S/Ts are meh at best. Taken together, none of that spells ‘The future is so bright that players & fans need to wear sunglasses 24 hours a day’.
I give Lovie AND Licht credit for creating this mess & driving Bucs’ fans into the Pit of Despair. One’s long gone; the other needs to join him ASAP.
December 29th, 2018 at 5:42 am
Only thing with DK going is now Jameis crowd will have a brand new excuse next year.
But but but, he had to learn a new play book and never mention his constant inconsistency
December 29th, 2018 at 7:22 am
Dirk Koetter is a good man, and his players love him.
If has time has come to move on, and I believe it has, I want to thank him for his 3 years of service here in TB, and wish him nothing but the best going forward.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:28 am
This is not an endorsement for Lovie, but my take is that Licht sold the idea to
Lovie that he was going to build the offense,first and then the defense. So he let the defense go and primarily focused on offensive side of the ball. The strategy backfired because just like the present, Lovie struggled to have a top notch
defense, and he made the defense worse when he took over for Leslie Frazier.
Not having enough good players on defense and knowing what to do with the ones he had did him in.
Now the reason I think Lovie felt betrayed is Licht’s strategy would take time
and he thought he would be given that time.But unfortunately for him a weak defensive team also highlighted his coaching weaknesses.
Which brings us to today,where once again Licht’s drafting and free agent signings have weakened the coaches chance for successand set us back five years.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:58 am
^^ If that is in fact true, Bob, then it is a flaw for Jason Licht. When you think of the best built NFL teams over the decades, do you think any of them really said “We will focus on (one side of the ball) for these years, and than (that side of the ball) for those years.”?
With the amount that an NFL roster overturns every year, I don’t think you can afford to think that way.
Don’t you just have to focus on getting the very best that you can at every step of the turn, no matter which side of the ball it happens to fall on? Don’t you have to try to build both equally and simultaneously?
December 29th, 2018 at 8:42 am
Mike Johnson Says:
December 28th, 2018 at 8:51 pm
Many here say keep Dirk
^^^Litterally no one is saying this. what dimension are you posting from LOL
December 29th, 2018 at 8:46 am
I will say that Koetter should get another year. No idea how you fire a coach that had a top 5 offense. Its obvious the suspension and defense did him in. All the boys need to do is get JW a running back and a better secondary and this is a playoff team. they arent far off. just cause fans are retarded doesnt mean blow the team up.
December 29th, 2018 at 8:57 am
@tampaBay DEmon
Its taken Licht till this year to focus on the defense in a meaningful way.One problem is he keeps reaching in the second round of the draft especially. And I agree its a flawed strategy.But so is not doing homework on players in free agency and even in the draft. If you sign players with flaws looking for the next
Honey Badger its too big a gamble with the teams future. A few examples.
ASJ with a known drinking problem comes to Tampa with device on his car to prevent him from driving while drinking.
Noah Spence with an Addiction problem.
T J Ward up in smoke.
Swaggy Baker , a bad practice player and lazy.
Ronald Jones with hands of stone.
And even Jameis whose problems still dogged him this year.
The Jurys still out on some of these players but Jason Licht has not done enough
homework on a lot of the players he signs,IMO.
December 29th, 2018 at 9:40 am
^ All great points, Bob. – Jason’s struggles with 2nd round draft picks, especially (as you pointed out), are legendary!!
It has hurt this team so much.
December 29th, 2018 at 10:20 am
Sounds like Koetter being X’d is in the books. If the Glazers wanted him back for another year they likely would of told him prior to a decision that’s been on everyone’s mind for a while now and he wouldn’t of make this statement. Classy to put it out on the radio. I would like Kris Richard, but Mike McCarthy is a good option, also. Tons of good playoff experience and a SB win teaching and learning from a first year eligible HOF QB. Knows lots of people around the league. Jameis gets to prove he’s worthy one more year under a good offensive coach, or McCarthy will make his own decision on a QB in 2020. Coaching AR for so long will likely make you a good QB scout.
December 29th, 2018 at 10:24 am
^ Hey SOE, I didn’t even think of that angle with McCarthy. Coaching somewhat with the demeanor & coachability of Jameis would probably be a godsend for McCarthy after working with ARod all of those years.
December 29th, 2018 at 10:24 am
(someone)
December 29th, 2018 at 10:33 am
People keep saying fire Licht but it has to start with landing a good VP of operations. Process needs to start from the top down cus the Glazer kids don’t know sh!t about how to run a football team. Glazers fire Licht and it’s just gonna be a Rock Star repeat or Licht 2.0.
December 29th, 2018 at 11:52 am
Licht schmoozed the Glazers into keeping him?
December 29th, 2018 at 9:46 pm
Hire Wade Phillips as next Head Coach
December 29th, 2018 at 10:46 pm
Don’t agree with letting him go, but based solely on the posters here Koetter, and probably Licht too,k are gone in the next 48 hours.
I actually think Koetter is a good HC and should be given a chance to finish the job he started building a winning team. Yes, sometimes a first year HC can turn around a team in one year and get to the playoffs, but that’s not the norm, if it were, every team that didnt’ make the playoffs would fire their coaches every year hoping to find that one year wonder coach.
This year had so many asterisk attached to it from JW’s 3-game suspension, to having one of the toughest rated schedules this year (for a last place finish the prior year? still can’t figure out how that happened) devastating defense injuries, to continued kicker problems.
Losing 4 games by 3 points, 1 by 5 and 1 by 7 shows how close this team really is to being a legit contender. Better kicking, better defense, better RB performance, sprinkled with a little luck and this team is what we Bucs’ fans have all been waiting for. Hey, I’m very disappointed too, but that doesn’t mean the GM and HC should be fired.
The one consistent thing the Bucs have shown over the past 10 years, other than losing, is that ownership (and fanbase) has no patience. This is NOT a time to repeat the past, this team is close and does not warrant a blow-up. I say keep Koetter and Licht, matter of fact, ownership should give them both a 3-year contract and change the culture by BUILDING, not tearing down.