Are The Bucs Battling New England For Bill O’Brien?
January 19th, 2023
“Lotta stuff happening, Kyle.”
So two weeks ago a report surfaced that the Bucs were prepared to hire former Houston head coach/playcaller Bill O’Brien a year ago if current Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich bolted for a head coaching gig.
(You can catch up that here.)
Leftwich is an ice cold commodity now and the Bucs are moving on with a new playcaller. Why? Because Tampa Bay has a sober, intelligent management team and Todd Bowles wouldn’t endorse Leftwich two days ago, among other things Joe knows.
O’Brien, 53, has strong ties to Bucs general manager Jason Licht. They worked together in New England and were good friends there and after their Belicheats time ended. To the best of Joe’s knowledge, they have the same agent.
Joe would be pleased to see O’Brien paired with Todd Bowles, but the Bucs may be O’Brien’s second choice.
Super plugged in Tom Curran of NBC in Boston, a longtime Patriots beat writer, said this week that creepy Patriots owner Bob Kraft wants O’Brien to return to New England.
“My understanding is that ownership believes that, ‘look, Bill O’Brien is the best guy for the job, let’s get it done,'” Curran said in a televised interview.
Joe guesses O’Brien would jump at the Patriots job if it’s there for him and he wants to be the next New England head coach. It’s not like Bill Belicheat will coach forever. Plus, the Patriots have a promising young quarterback in place with two years of experience.
A Tampa job for O’Brien wouldn’t have the same upside.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:26 am
LEFTWICH JUST GOT FIRED!!! YAY !!!
January 19th, 2023 at 10:28 am
I dunno, who is more likely to still be the head coach in 2024, Bowles or Belichick? My money is on Belichick still there, and Bowles canned. O’Brien then steps up as Bucs HC in 2024 if he takes this OC job.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:31 am
Good luck trying to hire a O/C knowing Bowels will be gone after one more year.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:39 am
Bucs problem in hiring an OC is they know the head coach is going to be fired next offseason.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:45 am
No Brady. No O’Brien .
January 19th, 2023 at 10:47 am
I would be fine with Billy O or Frank Reich or N. Hackett.
Any of them would be a vast improvement over Coach Flatbill Mouth Breather…
January 19th, 2023 at 10:49 am
Hire Dallas OC
Kellen Moore as HC
January 19th, 2023 at 11:02 am
If Harold Goodwin or Clyde C. gets promoted into the role, this website needs to light a huge media fire under the HC, GM and ownership. I’m talking Scorched Earth!
January 19th, 2023 at 11:03 am
He should come here and when bowels gets fired next year he could take the head role don’t think Bill will retire anytime soon
January 19th, 2023 at 11:12 am
O’Brien ain’t worked for Bowles, that’s a death sentence. If they sh** can Bowels I can see.him coming or he goes to Indy or Pats.
January 19th, 2023 at 11:47 am
Let’s just take time to celebrate Leftwich firing.
Obrien isn’t coming. His family staid in Houston to his sons medical needs. He wants back to Boston and their hospitals. Stability will be important and kraft can basically guarantee a job there for years. Why would he come work under Bowles when he is on the hot seat.
January 19th, 2023 at 11:52 am
I wonder if any OC hire has a handshake agreement to be considered for HC if Bowles blows out? I just don’t have confidence he is HC material based on this yr’s look. Unless his hands were tied. I mean he would have to know NOTHING about Offense to be able to be excused for this yrs mess. And we all hear his football IQ is tops. So…ya can’t have it both ways. Smartest guy in FB and he let his offense fail? Or HC and he doesnt know a thing about how to use the remainders of a superbowl team nearly fully in place?
At any rate without assurances I bet its damned bear impossible to hire a desirable OC. Especially if Brady is waneing and it wasnt just a bad yr. He looked so skittish. Even if Brady locked in for ’23 and we win a SB best case scenario, then he retires. Or we come close and he tries for 2 yrs. No way he lasts 3. Not after looking the way he did this yr. And what OC wants a rebuild with a weak HC candiate whose already had a fireable season?
January 19th, 2023 at 11:54 am
Ok, now that’s a very reasonable reading of the situation.
January 19th, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Given the situation in Tampa, the Bucs would have to overpay O’Brien to coach here. There is much more stability in New England than here. If the Bucs underperform again next year then Bowles will be gone and O’Brien or whomever they bring in as OC will be out of a job. Not too attractive.
January 19th, 2023 at 12:17 pm
I agree with Your Mom Says. Better opportunity to ascend to HC here than NE. Also agree strongly that Goodwin failed miserably at designing running plays and should go. You always have injuries but the run schemes were predictable and bland.
Brady didn’t always see eye to eye with B.O. but they worked well together.
My dream hire is still Jim Harbaugh as HC, but B.O. as OC is a step in the right direction.
I’ll be like #8 was/is with “Suh”
Save the franchise from itself.
Harbaugh
January 19th, 2023 at 12:33 pm
The only positive draw with the Tampa OC opening is the fact that Bowles is on thin ice and there’s a real possibility of a promotion to HC if (hopefully when) Bowles gets fired himself.
January 19th, 2023 at 12:46 pm
The Bucs have had more recent success, our weather is better, cheerleaders hotter.
Glazers can swing weight just as much as Kraft.
Lastly, joe Bucs fan is in the Tampa market, so that’s a clear win to come here.
Go Bucs!!!
January 19th, 2023 at 1:42 pm
Monken.
January 19th, 2023 at 2:20 pm
Ding dong the witch is dead!
Witch old witch? The lefty witch.
January 19th, 2023 at 9:49 pm
Would be great if we can land Sean Payton, Brady would stay, Bowles back to DC!!
January 21st, 2023 at 6:57 pm
Brady is going with O’Nrien. I promise O Brien is a Brady guy and will not go back to patriots