Bucs Hit The Ground Running With Offensive Coordinator Interviews
January 26th, 2025
Interviews.
The Bucs are one of 11 NFL teams without an offensive coordinator.
So the Bucs can’t wallow in their tears over losing Liam Coen. They’ve got competition to fill Coen’s shoes.
Joe noted on Twitter that former Bucs defensive tackle Booger McFarland said if he ran the Bucs, he would target three guys:
1. Whomever Sean McVay says is the best guy.
2. Whomever Kevin McConnell says is the best guy.
3. Chip Kelly.
Well, it seems the Bucs and Booger are on the same page — at least with Nos. 1 and 2.
Of the three candidates the Bucs interviewed yesterday, one is on McVay’s staff in Los Angeles and another is on O’Connell’s staff at Minnesota. And of course, the Bucs also interviewed a Jim Harbaugh assistant from Los Angeles.
Those interviewed are Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase, Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady, and Vikings assistant offensive coordinator Grant Udinski. None currently call plays.
Scheelhaase did at Iowa State. Brady called plays for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. Udinski never has.
Granted, 2023 Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales had never called plays before he came to Tampa Bay, either.
Scheelhaase and Udinski are interesting because the work for two of the brightest offensive minds in the game. Coen, too, was from the McVay tree.
Scheelhaase had good success at Iowa State. As a running backs coach and offensive coordinator Scheelhaase has churned out some pretty good talent, including David Montgomery and Breece Hall.
He also worked with then-freshman quarterback Rocco Becht (son of former Bucs tight end Anthony Becht) in 2023. Scheelhaase groomed Becht to become the Big XII Freshman of the Year.
For Joe, Scheelhaase, a former quarterback at Illinois, is the more interesting of the three. That’s because Scheelhaase has a documented ability to develop guys, at least in college, similar to Coen at Kentucky.
Ira Kaufman Debates Liam Coen Blame, Talks Replacements, Baker Mayfield Power, Fans & Todd Bowles, And More
January 26th, 2025 at 8:26 am
Any news on how Baker is taking the Coen news? Is it true Coen texted Baker that he was staying in Tampa?
January 26th, 2025 at 8:34 am
Hope whomever can put up 30 points per game.
January 26th, 2025 at 8:35 am
Chip Kelly!! Hahahahaha! I’m gonna have to take a minute to get over that one
January 26th, 2025 at 8:47 am
Chip Kelly passed on the Bucs in 2012 to stay at Oregon. We ended up with Schiano. That’s some bad mojo.
January 26th, 2025 at 8:51 am
@UKBuccaneer: You have less than a minute as Chip is running the no huddle..
January 26th, 2025 at 8:53 am
Hopefully the Bucs are talking to Mike McCarthy. If he doesn’t get the Saints HC job – then Tampa Bay is the best landing spot for him if he wants to coach this year….
Short of McCarthy – My preference would be to promote from within and give Thad Lewis the job of running the Buccaneers offense. This represents a degree of ‘continuity’ – as we could keep roughly the same offensive system and use the same terminology that everyone learned and did well in last year.
Lewis has been working closely with Baker for the last 2 years and its been obvious to most at OBP ever since he arrived that Thad is going to be an excellent NFL coordinator or HC at some point. I think now is the time……
January 26th, 2025 at 8:55 am
“Dave Canales had never called plays before he came to Tampa Bay, either”
And I think it showed! It was probably Canales greatest weakness and ONE of the reasons, along with Bucky, new OL, that Coen looked like a better OC. He called better plays with a better game plan behind them.
IF lack of experience play calling is not going to be a deal breaker my vote stays with Thad Lewis. I really appreciate the culture the Bucs have created. Lewis not only has the connection with Baker, he’s been in the Bucs culture and is BA approved!
January 26th, 2025 at 8:56 am
When Canales was here, I commented that I felt Canales would be a better head coach than an OC. This was due to leadership quality, his unwavering positivity and his ability to be a team player with his front office. Not a control freak but a true leader and team player. These qualities have already lead to a marked improvement in the Panters who took the Bucs to overtime this season.
Liam Coen will be a complete failure as a head coach due to not having any of the above. mentioned qualities possessed by Canales. Players must believe you and be willing to follow you. Management must know you are working with them and not against you. This whole mess shows Coen’s true personality. Hopefully whoever is the next coordinator is mor elike Canales and less like Coen.
The real reason for the Bucs offense improving this season was not Coen. It was great performances by Baker Mayfield. The rebuilt offensive line and the drafting of Bucky Irving.
Mayfield had two monster seasons in Tampa with two OC’s that had never called plays in the NFL. Baker will have success whoever his hired.
January 26th, 2025 at 8:58 am
Oldtimer
“I felt Canales would be a better head coach than an OC. This was due to leadership quality,”
Excellent point!
January 26th, 2025 at 9:22 am
No first time playcallers please. We are trying to win a Super Bowl.
January 26th, 2025 at 9:23 am
Only a seasoned OC! This is not an on the job training position. We must have someone with a record of leading an NFL offense.
January 26th, 2025 at 9:28 am
I do like the idea of Lincoln Riley. However, I think he could probably be in Tampa only 1 year too
January 26th, 2025 at 9:31 am
I hear Chip Kelly a lot. My question is, has he changed his offensive Philosophy or would he adjust his offensive to fix what the Bucs do well with Mayfield at the helm. If not mistaken, Kelly’s offensive started out good but failed in the NFL
January 26th, 2025 at 9:31 am
The Lincoln Riley suggestion has me highly intrigued!!
January 26th, 2025 at 9:35 am
Very interesting on all. Scheelhaase sounds like a favorite. Strong choice.
January 26th, 2025 at 9:38 am
Oldtimer is spot on with his thoughts on Canales.
If I go back 50 years, I picked the Bucs because of their team colors. Sue me, I was ten. If I want to embrace that same logic, I’m picking Scheelhaase because of his name only. I would love to see what the Joes do with that nickname.
January 26th, 2025 at 9:40 am
Riley ain’t leaving USC to be the oc of any team in nfl
January 26th, 2025 at 9:54 am
I know it’s silly but I wonder what Dirk Koetter would have done with the talent now on this Offense? I don’t know who’s who in the OC ranks so will continue to have faith in Licht and Bowles.
January 26th, 2025 at 10:36 am
Chip Kelly is great if you’ve got college sized rosters on gameday. Can we get a few rules changed? 🙂
January 26th, 2025 at 10:54 am
@stpetebucsfan
I personally like TB as a person but I would like to see him get moved up and a new coach be put in place. The reasons are simply twofold:
1. The highest paid position moving forward by far will be the QB. That means the whole team/system has to cater to that position. So, for me, you have to have an offensive coach that calls plays so the QB can be in the same system for a decade.
2. He is not a very good coach. Its okay to make mistakes but his continue as far as timeouts, decisions on 4th down etc. The worst part is that he continuously just gives nonsensical answers for errors in judgement.
To be fair, the Bucs have never been nationally relevant or popular. But I cannot remember even one article by any writer anywhere stating TB was a top ten coach. I have read hundreds of articles claiming him to be a bottom ten coach. That is hard to digest.
In an offensive league, you have to be exciting and score points. The defense should allow a team to win much more than lose if you can avg 26+ points a week. We have been extremely lucky that the other three teams have all been on a down cycle or we would have not had this much success. I believe that TB had his job saved by the FF in overtime of the panthers game. They could have kicked a fg prior to that but for some reason gave us the chance to have that happen.
If we had Coen, even weak willed as his personality is, we may have had an offensive minded coach for ten years along with Bakers good enough playing and at least had a shot to hope each year for a SB opportunity. Now we will have to wait till the end of next season to see what direction the Bucs go. Their decision on TB will set the tone for a long time to come. He is so nice that I believe the owners couldn’t bring themselves to let him go this year.
I do not comment much but it has been a disappointment for how the last week unfolded and I have no friends that care a peep about the greatest team ever created on the earth. Go Bucs!
January 26th, 2025 at 10:54 am
Joe is not a Chip Kelly guy. Maybe, like Chucky, he draws up pretty plays on a whiteboard. Coaching is much more than that.
Go ahead and Google “Chip Kelly, Shady McCoy” and watch what pops up.
Anyone that thinks Chip Kelly is this offensive genius — college reporters seem to think that — go ahead and rewatch the Michigan-Ohio State game from November and try to sell Joe that Kelly is some sort of misunderstood Sean McVay.
January 26th, 2025 at 11:21 am
To me this is a no brainer get Chip Kelly, his run game schemes fit in with what we were doing last year, he’s older 61 and could be around for a couple of seasons minimally. I think with our running back stable and speedy receivers, new found motion plays and of course Bakers ability at any given moment to break into a run option this would be epic and slam the door on Coens stunt. GO BUCS!!!
January 26th, 2025 at 11:42 am
Get Kelly Duh no brainer fellows!!
January 26th, 2025 at 11:45 am
No to Chip Kelly, or Jon Gruden, or Lincoln Riley, or Tom Cruise, or Jackie Gleason, or Groucho Marx, or any other celebrity coach.
Just grunt through the process like has been done the last two years, realizing that if the defense isn’t fixed it’s a moot point anyway. The energy might be better spent on hiring a DC and promoting from within with Lewis.
January 26th, 2025 at 11:48 am
So Alex Van Pelt has not been called.? Actually that makes sense. Baker was pretty angry at the end of 2o22 at what he saw as being thrown to the Wolves of Pittsburgh with 3rd String O-linemen. Alex would have been in charge of that. Baker,s career was turned around by MCvey who believed in Baker and was up relentlessly positive. Bakes wants to stuck with a Rams guy.
January 26th, 2025 at 11:59 am
Spot on Oldtimer! I couldn’t agree more.
Our gripe with Canales was the run game and his stubborn commitment to it. Give him Barton Brederson and Irving and we probably weren’t #4 but we weren’t #32 either.
He loaded the Panther OL in the offseason and Chuba Hubbard had a great year.
I suspect in 3-4 years Coen won’t even be in the league and with 50-60 million in the bank, he possibly won’t care. That’s not bitterness talking either, I don’t really care that he bolted, didn’t want him as HC for everything Oldtimer said.
January 26th, 2025 at 12:02 pm
Today’s version of Chip Kelly is wildly better than the Eagles version of Chip Kelly.
Maybe his experience, and failure, has changed is style. Who knows but I would be all for bringing him in.
If he flames out, fine. But if he’s a better pro coach than he was, we potentially have the replacement for Bowles on staff.
January 26th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
I’m definitely on board with this Scheelhause and like the McVay/KOC line for offensive hires.
Less excited about the KOC stable, I was pumping KOC as maybe the best HC in the league after Reid. Pretty amazing what he has gotten outta the Vikings and Darnold and Cousins the last couple years but the last 2 big games of theirs were tough on the eyeballs from a play calling perspective. He was not scheming for Darnold to get the ball out quick and it murdered them.
January 26th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Cindy Gruden might be available.
January 26th, 2025 at 12:34 pm
“Riley ain’t leaving USC to be the oc of any team in nfl”
lol he might not have a choice by next year
January 26th, 2025 at 12:45 pm
Scheelhaase, of the others mentioned, i’d go with him….love that name too.
January 26th, 2025 at 12:55 pm
@dmbucs….spot on honest take
January 26th, 2025 at 12:58 pm
I would go with Thad Lewis or Scheelhaase. Keep the same offense. Based on the first year, it’s the best offense we’ve ever had. With Chris back we’ll score 30 a game. Chip Kelly is intriguing only because I would go no huddle any time we were behind in the game. Todd is clearly afraid of the no huddle due he does not want his pathetic pass defense back on the field.
Fix the defense Todd or be gone!
January 26th, 2025 at 1:01 pm
Its easy to say it a great opportunity, the last 2 became HC, good offensive roster….
Yeah, but reality for the next OC is not having the success as the last 2, the other 3 division teams getting better to make it harder than the last 2 OCs, Bowels defense M.O. is known not to compliment the offense so there is that hardship, and knowing if you can’t be successful then you and Bowels as well as staff are all gone after this season…
Who wants to move their family for all that uncertainty…
January 26th, 2025 at 1:26 pm
Finding a good NFL OC is not just X’s and O’s, you have to find an elite communicator also. Someone that can command the room day in a day out and make sure everybody’s on the same page.
I’m sure that’s a big thing that the Bucs are looking for
January 26th, 2025 at 1:27 pm
Prediction: We hire Scheelhaase and our offense is top 10 once again. Todd’s defense still sucks and we win the division with a 9-8 record and lose in the first round of the playoffs. Coen takes the Jags to the playoffs and Trevor Lawrence has one of the best seasons of any QB. Scheelhaase gets a head coaching job and Groundhog Day starts all over again. It’s a Bucs life!!!
January 26th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
I’m going to trust the Bucs process on whoever they hire… I don’t care about getting a “big name”…. Cause the last two guys that Bowles/Licht hired were not big names at the time either.
January 26th, 2025 at 1:37 pm
All of these people combined have fewer SB rings than Eric Bienemy. KC is a dynasty due to him and Andy R.
He has more than a 18 week resume, yet Coen was thought to be a savior. Those of you who loved Coen so much, what do you have to say now about his ethics.
Great players will never play for him because of his actions.
January 26th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
I still think terminology, options at the LOS, the why as well as the what, and adaptability are the keys to continuity.
Our internal candidates, specifically Thad and Grizzard, might be our best bets for the above.
1 was in charge of red-zone, 1 in charge of 3rd downs – 2 areas we seemed to be very good at.
Either could probably do better than the chinless wonder give a chance.
I trust the Todd’s to make the call tho.
January 26th, 2025 at 2:06 pm
Where’s the Lincoln Riley rumors?
January 26th, 2025 at 2:07 pm
Thad Lewis must be a dummy. He’s been with us since the beginning, and can’t move up the ladder? What about Grizzard, and Carberry? None of our current coaches are good enough to take over? If we hire from outside are they going to pick their own staff, or are they stuck with our coaches that don’t seem good enough to move up to OC. We’ve interviewed 25 coaches for OC the last two years, and we need another long search? If we don’t do better next season, complete house cleaning including Licht. We look clueless right now, no direction.
January 26th, 2025 at 2:28 pm
The offense needs continuity more than anything. Needs to stick to the same scheme and playbook. They should either hire from within or look at the two Rams guys in Nick Caley and Scheelhaase.
January 26th, 2025 at 3:45 pm
Jeffs grandpa Says:
January 26th, 2025 at 9:40 am
Riley ain’t leaving USC to be the oc of any team in nfl
‐———————————-
Exactly he is making $10million and been terrible for USC. He is not going to a low paying NFL job. If fired by USC he would still likely get a college job paying more.
January 26th, 2025 at 3:47 pm
Coen is a snake. Having said that Baker is a king maker. Every lower level offensive assistant wants this job.
January 26th, 2025 at 3:58 pm
Chip Kelly just led Ohio State to a national championship, beating Tennessee, Texas, Oregon, and Notre Dame.
Plus like others said… he wouldn’t leave for a few seasons as he is done being a head coach.
January 26th, 2025 at 4:04 pm
im indifferent to the complaints about coen’s leaving, i remember beliciik and the jets and parcells. coen is going to make a lot of money in a difficult situation, but i dont see jacksonville being successful because the owner wants to move to london.
i do see us being successful at oc with whoever we hire. 2 hofers, a top qb, strength everywhere, likely an hc job nex…
defense is a partial rebuild, we will be better but its hard to have 3 great drafts in a row
January 26th, 2025 at 4:59 pm
“Thad Lewis must be a dummy. He’s been with us since the beginning, and can’t move up the ladder?”
On July 22, 2020, Lewis was hired as an intern by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Following the 2020 NFL season, Lewis was hired as an offensive assistant. He was promoted to assistant wide receivers coach on May 5, 2021.
On February 24, 2023, Lewis was promoted to the role of quarterbacks coach.
He’s a Duke Grad so hard to imagine he’s a dummy. He’s been getting promoted every year except these past two because he’s done such a good job with Baker. WR’s now 2 years with the Bucs QB…how fast does he need to move up the food chain?
January 26th, 2025 at 5:34 pm
It’s been announced. Gene Deckerhoff will come down from the booth and be co-offensive coordinator with Old Tom Moore. Time for some experience. Gene’s role will be to lead the offensive players’ level of confusion to match that of the defensive players in coverage. Bring some balance back to the team, finally.
January 26th, 2025 at 6:16 pm
Makes much more sense to hire go with Grizzard, who is already on staff, knows the existing offense, already has good relationships with key players on the offense.
January 26th, 2025 at 6:49 pm
I would love to see us promote someone from within and try to have some continuity. Someone who is ready to be a decent OC.
I would like to see another quality off season by Licht.
I would love to see Bowles create a revised defense strong against the pass as well as the run.
Go Bucs! Super Bowl or bust!
January 26th, 2025 at 7:06 pm
Gotta disagree on the take that Coen will suddenly make Trevor Lawrence and the Jags a juggernaut. Lawrence is no Mayfield. He has no fire, no drive. I’m not even sure he is all that smart. Seems to always have a dumb look in his eyes and on his face (you know what I mean, you can sit on a bench at the mall and point out the morons just by the look in their eyes).
January 26th, 2025 at 7:08 pm
Hire Mike McCarthy now! It solves the OC problem we have now, and it will solve the HC problem we will have next year
January 26th, 2025 at 7:38 pm
Let’s dig up old Eugene McCarthy. He could do it.
January 26th, 2025 at 7:51 pm
“IF lack of experience play calling is not going to be a deal breaker my vote stays with Thad Lewis. I really appreciate the culture the Bucs have created. Lewis not only has the connection with Baker, he’s been in the Bucs culture and is BA approved!”
If they’re gonna stay in house, everything I’ve read points to Grizzard as being more ready to move up.
And “BA Approved” is not a plus. Leftwich was “BA Approved” too.
January 26th, 2025 at 8:37 pm
i’m not sure why, but i’m thinking an older vet OC, over a young upstart potential pinball…
get an old wily vet who can emulate the offense we are looking for, and add in some of his own mix bag of good stuff too…
(wait, that sounds like me…but i’m already off the board)
January 26th, 2025 at 11:21 pm
As long as Baker is on the interview panel and heavily weighted in the decision we should be ok.
January 27th, 2025 at 4:26 am
Scheelhaase is the one. Young, seems to develop players, probably has new innovative ideas, and more importantly seems loyal, so won’t bounce after a year. Also from the mcvay tree.
January 27th, 2025 at 5:52 am
There is a problem.
We got coaches flying everywhere every off season. Not sure about the reason but I got a feeling some should never have been in the NFL and some had no chnace because the teams they coached sucked. Also the organizations they worked for maybe? Used to be just the Bucs and the Browns, maybe the old Saints when Archie was around. But now we got a bunch of others. Thank God the Bucs have finally put together a top notch front office.
Hey Roger! All this coaching musical chairs can’t be a good thiing for the league as a whole. Just me thinking about it…
Go Bucs!
January 27th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Dirk Koetter is available
January 27th, 2025 at 8:02 pm
Dirk Diggler is available.