Report: Bucs Looking At Kirby Smart
January 6th, 2019
Georgia coach Kirby Smart.
This seems like a big time stretch.
This morning, Uber NFL insider, heavy-metal headbanging Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports let out a doozy. He claims the Bucs (if the Bruce Arians thing falls through) would be after Georgia coach Kirby Smart.
The allure of Saban and his accomplished assistants is significant at a time when many candidates for jobs lack the proven ability to assemble a staff and manage a game and personalities the way he has. In particular, sources said that Tampa Bay’s ownership – still hopeful of making a splash – would be interested in speaking to Georgia coach Kirby Smart, a former Saban assistant.
Again, this seems like a major reach. Some thoughts:
The Bucs this decade got burned by hiring an authoritative college coach in former Bucs commander Greg Schiano. It seems incredible to believe Team Glazer would go down that route again so soon after getting fried just five years prior. Besides, Smart has but one season coaching in the NFL and that was as a safeties coach in 2006.
Smart, in a short time, has built a powerhouse at Georgia and the way he is recruiting, this is not soon to abate. If he didn’t succeed (quickly) with the Bucs, he would be out of work before his current freshman class at Georgia graduates.
Joe could understand if Smart would be a defensive coordinator. He was one of the best college football has had in years, but that would be a major step down for Smart in both job security and salary.
Perhaps, the Bucs plan to bring in Smart as defensive coordinator with a promise he would succeed Arians as head coach in a few years, but even that seems to be a crazy stretch for the Larry Culpepper lookalike.
This sure smells to Joe like Smart’s agent is working on a contract extension with a hefty raise included. You know, make the folks at Georgia squirm a little thinking they could lose Smart to the NFL if they don’t sweeten his paycheck.
January 6th, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Don’t want a college coach
January 6th, 2019 at 2:53 pm
Agent at work here
January 6th, 2019 at 2:53 pm
Dabo Swinney please! Incompetent owners need to make this right
January 6th, 2019 at 3:02 pm
Bruce Arians
“Simple as that”
January 6th, 2019 at 3:02 pm
I can believe it. Glazers are not football people. They are looking for a a bargain $$$, not a winner. This organization’s losing mentality starts with the Glazer family.
January 6th, 2019 at 3:03 pm
I think what the bucs are doing now is throwing people off while they search for assistant coaches bye the way of college and pro football. I expect on Tuesday Arians will be announced as HC and by Wednesday most of his assistants will be announced
January 6th, 2019 at 3:07 pm
Misdirection. No college coaches allowed.
January 6th, 2019 at 3:07 pm
We’ve done the collage coach thing already and it didn’t anything good for us. Get an NFL coach!
January 6th, 2019 at 3:09 pm
a big NO!
January 6th, 2019 at 3:10 pm
HELL NO!!! I’D PREFER ARIANS!!!
January 6th, 2019 at 3:14 pm
College head coaches make garbage NFL head coaches
January 6th, 2019 at 3:16 pm
His agent is Jimmy Sexton.
Saban has the same agent.
As you and others have noted–this is just a BS ploy to get his client more $$.
I don’t blame the agent–but I hate how job openings are leveraged to inflate salaries to an even more ridiculous level.
January 6th, 2019 at 3:19 pm
Absolute zero chance of this happening. Whoever the source is doesn’t know football or just plain economics.
Kirby, like Joe said, has a powerhouse in Georgia that is top 3 in recruiting and a top 10 team overall in the country. His team is going to be competing for many years if he keeps it up, why would he want to go from that to this? One of the worst teams in the NFL?
January 6th, 2019 at 3:19 pm
Crying out loud just make arians the head coach he actually has nfl head coaching experience
January 6th, 2019 at 3:29 pm
Click Bait BS…. Not buying into anything CBS is spinning.
January 6th, 2019 at 3:33 pm
Theory: Everyone is playing the long game. Apprentice under Arians at the pro level, like he did with Saban in college. Be 100% ready when taking over as head coach in 2-3 years. Everyone in this scenario is well compensated to be onboard.
January 6th, 2019 at 3:34 pm
There’s no reason for a good college coach to leave that system.
January 6th, 2019 at 3:35 pm
Arians is our coach. We’ll have to put up with this until Tuesday. We can either follow the non-believers or we can choose to see the Licht. And the future is bright. Go Bucs!
January 6th, 2019 at 3:43 pm
It’s entirely possible that Arians comes in a president of football ops. Help assemble a staff and a roster. But if the dumbass glazers are going to hire another college coach why not the HC of Clemson? I think he’s pretty good at developing offensive talent but wtfdik?!? Amirite?
January 6th, 2019 at 3:49 pm
Arians is not going to accept the offer without guarantee he can draft his own QB… surf from the Mons…
January 6th, 2019 at 3:53 pm
I can tell already if Smart got hired Joe would be proactive in smearing his good name. I mean already comparing him to Schiano even though there is no connection whatsoever. Might well have said we shouldn’t hire him because He can’t be manipulated by outside sources. Let’s go negative, it’s what we do.
January 6th, 2019 at 3:54 pm
@Joe … “This sure smells to Joe like Smart’s agent is working on a contract extension with a hefty raise included.” JBFers LOVE a good conspiracy theory. This isn’t one of them Joe.
Kirby Smart WILL get a hefty raise because of what he’s done in his time at Georgia and the promise his leadership holds for the future there, NOT because Georgia boosters (who ultimately foot the bill) got out-foxed by some agent.
January 6th, 2019 at 3:56 pm
Bucs fan #7423 Says:
January 6th, 2019 at 3:14 pm
College head coaches make garbage NFL head coaches
*********************************************************************************
Some Know it alls love talking out of their *ss… Make your statement to Pete Carroll
January 6th, 2019 at 3:57 pm
Arians is a short term band aid
January 6th, 2019 at 3:57 pm
This smells extremely fishy like the Brian Kelly reports. They just need to make the announcement that Mr. No risk it, no biscuit, will be the next Bucs HC already.
January 6th, 2019 at 3:58 pm
JWBUCS-
Pete Carroll was a NFL coach before he was a college head coach
January 6th, 2019 at 3:59 pm
R.I.P Run play option and Lamar Jackson’s NFL career
January 6th, 2019 at 4:02 pm
This just in. Jenna and Rick still believe there is no validity in the JBF report from Friday. They are still awaiting their sources for more info on the time-line and details on the hiring. Stay tuned.
January 6th, 2019 at 4:03 pm
Jeezuz Kyste, sign Arians already and let’s start assembling this coaching staff!
January 6th, 2019 at 4:07 pm
This sounds more like something this team would do, oass on the winner and sign the next loser
January 6th, 2019 at 4:12 pm
Could you imagine the howls of derision if this came to pass? The Glazer haters would finally be able to justify their own existence.
Lol.
January 6th, 2019 at 4:13 pm
Kirby Smart? You’re kidding. That would be the direct opposite of a “splash” hire. Your Schiano reference is apt in that regard.
If you interviewed fans across Tampa and made a list of coaches by name recognition….Smart would struggle to even make the list much less score in the top ten. This would be the opposite of a splash hire.
I do NOT want a college coach!!! It’s two different games and guys like Smart and Saban simply are incredible recruiters who get better players than their competition. Not like that in the NFL where on any given Sunday….the players are just not that far apart.
January 6th, 2019 at 4:15 pm
HARD PASS
January 6th, 2019 at 4:20 pm
“This report just f***ed up my whole vibe to be completely honest.”
January 6th, 2019 at 4:25 pm
Gtfoh.
January 6th, 2019 at 4:28 pm
I thought Arians was a done deal…
January 6th, 2019 at 4:42 pm
I have been suggesting as much of the past week- this is not fluff- Smart is a top of the list guy. There’s legit interest from our side- not sure about Smarts.
January 6th, 2019 at 4:42 pm
No, no, a thousand times no!!!!!
January 6th, 2019 at 4:45 pm
The GBoyz are still playing …stone…paper…scissors…
January 6th, 2019 at 4:50 pm
Might be another candidate being pushed by Korn-Ferry. The Brian Kelly thing was being pushed by them too.
January 6th, 2019 at 4:50 pm
Coming from a Longhorn fan. Neg-a-tory good buddy. We need to wrap up Arians soon if that’s who they really want cus Eric Bienemy and George Edwards won’t be available much longer. No Kris Richard. Like Richard but have a feeling he’s just not ready for the HC position yet. He needs to get in the DC chair for a couple years cus his only DC gig two years ago in Seattle was the most points allowed in the league. But who knows, Glazer kids might pull a Glazer kids and pick up this guy or Brian Kelly to add to the classic four year rotation.
January 6th, 2019 at 5:00 pm
Easy don’t be crazy. Only place Dabo leaves for is his alma mater, Alabama, if he wants to move.
January 6th, 2019 at 5:03 pm
Stevbobucfan
“I think what the bucs are doing now is throwing people off while they search for assistant coaches bye the way of college and pro football. I expect on Tuesday Arians will be announced as HC and by Wednesday most of his assistants will be announced.”
That’s also something I’ve been thinking of. Arians has already been locked down and has been making calls to coaches after the interview and likely since he said he was coming back but only to the Browns.
January 6th, 2019 at 5:05 pm
My thought is the Glazers told Licht, get Arians or you’re gone too.
January 6th, 2019 at 5:05 pm
Just relax It’s Arians, take it to the bank
January 6th, 2019 at 5:06 pm
Forget the sugar bowl no inspiration to play cows. But Smart or any top college coach would be commiting career suicide . The rebuild in the NFL is alot harder than college you dont get 25 new players every yeat. And i know that i for one BUC fan am tired of waiting. I want a prover NFL GUY to rebuild this dumpster fire.
January 6th, 2019 at 5:06 pm
Yeah I think arians is the front runner but the bucs are also interviewing Richard. I think they want to talk with him before making the decision.
January 6th, 2019 at 5:07 pm
Man, we have been left at the alter a lot. Must mean that Arians isn’t sure he wants back in yet.
January 6th, 2019 at 5:13 pm
What a dumb comment. The Bucs have been burnt by a plethora of wanna beee’s
January 6th, 2019 at 5:13 pm
Bill Walch was coach at Stanford.
Jimmy Johnson coach at Miami.
There’s six Super Bowls I think.
January 6th, 2019 at 5:14 pm
Walsh…
January 6th, 2019 at 5:25 pm
Great recruiter- Great team ….In College.
January 6th, 2019 at 6:01 pm
No more college coaches hoping to make it to pro. NO! NOT NOW, NOT EVER AGAIN!!!
January 6th, 2019 at 6:02 pm
This college coaches agents are always looking for leverage for a pay increase. Not buying it.
January 6th, 2019 at 6:09 pm
Lord please no!
January 6th, 2019 at 6:14 pm
I also think it’s BA even though I like Bienemy. Either way it would be good.
I had not even given KS a thought, but who really knows.
January 6th, 2019 at 6:15 pm
Good one JJV.
January 6th, 2019 at 6:15 pm
(Groan) Is it Tuesday yet?
January 6th, 2019 at 6:27 pm
Eric, yes. And you didn’t even have to reference the idiot specifically. Nearly every NFL coach has come from the college ranks at one time.
January 6th, 2019 at 6:33 pm
the young QB’s aren’t exactly tearing it up in playoffs so far.
Glad we got Jameis.
January 6th, 2019 at 6:46 pm
Eric… its kind of like good defenses and running attacks are important.
January 6th, 2019 at 6:55 pm
Anybody else think that waiting until Tuesday, which is after the college game, think it has to do with wanting assistants from Alabama or Clemson?
Who knows, maybe they ARE after Dabo????
January 6th, 2019 at 7:11 pm
Smart is a heck of a coach and true teacher. He has an eye for talent- just look at the kids he has sent to the NFL and how ready to play they tend to be. He also understands how to be the CEO of the whole football operation. There are enough excellent qualities that it would be foolish NOT to inquire about his interest. For all the naysayers, what makes Richard, Bieniemy or any other young coordinator MORE qualified for an interview???
January 6th, 2019 at 7:14 pm
Classic Sexton.
January 6th, 2019 at 7:35 pm
Eric
Honesty tell me whether you’d have Winston over Mahomes or Goff
Honestly
January 6th, 2019 at 8:04 pm
66 year old has been looking for a last gig, or a 43 up and coming Sec championship coach.. Simple, Kirby is better, however he isn’t coming to the depression of doom. The best we could possible get is someone like Old Bruce. The misery will continue.
January 6th, 2019 at 9:52 pm
Ruby,
Question. Look across the league and tell us what new trends have been game changers. Then tell us which ones originally were developed by NFL coaches.
Let me save you the time on the latter…..none.
They all started with college coaches.
January 7th, 2019 at 7:01 am
He is not doing a good job coaching the Dogs. Fake punt on 4th and 11?
January 7th, 2019 at 9:30 am
Did someone just drop Dabo? Lol