Lovie Smith No. 18
July 2nd, 2015
Where does Lovie Smith stand compared to his coaching peers?
Time for power rankings! You know it; Joe knows it: Fans love power rankings whether it be for players, cheerleaders or coaches. Today, it is coaches.
It seems NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison was given the grueling task of tapping on his keyboard to determine who is the best coach in the NFL and who is the worst.
Based on his rigorous study, Harrison has determined Bucs coach Lovie Smith to be at No. 18.
18. Lovie Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Like Ken Whisenhunt, Smith endured an extremely difficult 2014 season that left him with a high draft pick but dinged his reputation. Don’t misread this ranking; I’m not disrespecting Smith’s overall career. Bears management was ready to be rid of Smith and his 10-6 record following the 2012 season — and the team promptly won a total of 13 games over the next two seasons without him. What will Smith do this season? Tough to say with a rookie QB, but 86 wins in the NFL — Smith’s lifetime total — is no joke. Though he’s coming off a 2-14 campaign, Smith still has a winning record in the pros.
Again, Joe will state his perception of where Lovie stands with the Bucs. Joe truly believes Lovie has — barring a worse campaign than last — through the 2017 season to turn this franchise around. Joe thinks that is fair.
Generally — keyword there — it is unreasonable to expect a rookie quarterback to lead a team to the playoffs. Unless the team regresses to, say, winless this year, Lovie gets a total pass on 2015. Joe can’t imagine the Bucs going winless this year.
So as long as the arrow is pointing up, one of the favorite phrases of Team Glazer, Lovie is safe. But like with any other team, results (read: playoffs) are expected at some point.
No playoffs by the end of the 2017 season? Lovie may be thinking of retirement, whether it is voluntary or involuntary.
If Lovie shocks the world and decides to start quarterback of the past and quarterback of the future and maybe quarterback of the present, Mike Glennon, then Lovie has no such wiggle room for time. If Glennon starts, then Lovie will have essentially burned all of his mulligans.
July 2nd, 2015 at 5:47 am
No surprises here. They put all the rookie coaches at the bottom. Also the fact they he gave Lovie points from his job with a different team. And for all those that are keeping score, a 4-12 record will give Lovie a losing career record as NFL head coach!!!!!
Also Joe, some of us started the clock when Old Man McCown was gifted his job by Lovie Claus!!!
July 2nd, 2015 at 7:17 am
If Lovie does worse than Schiano this year, will the billboards come out?
Fuking ridiculous, let’s hope we judge all Tampa Bay coaches by the same merit.
July 2nd, 2015 at 7:36 am
I understand win-loss record is what it all about but perhaps the fact that Lovie was a positions coach for Tampa Bay previously and generally well liked distinguishes himself from Schiano. Schiano came across as a tyrant, and no one likes a tyrant, especially a tyrant who despite his personality style cannot win. Of course if Lovie can’t eventually win, he will/must go. Just saying Schiano’s “leadership style” encouraged the Billboard scenario much quicker.
July 2nd, 2015 at 8:28 am
Loive has received a free pass his entire career. He wins just enough to snow job people and keep employed yet he can’t win important games and only has 3 playoff wins in 10 years. Lovie is a mediocre coach and a horrendous personnel man— Simple as that! A 3rd grade math student can dive into Lovie’s meaningless records… He can’t beat good teams and is under .500 when it matters most. He will NEVER hoist the Lomardi here in Tampa.
July 2nd, 2015 at 8:58 am
You can keep up your free pass with Winston and none if he starts Glennon General. But he is On the Clock no matter what. Even if he starts Winston the excuses are gone. He used the “most pro ready”. He got Dirk one of the best OC’s in the game in a weak division. And good with young QB’s. The OL better not be anywhere closes to as bad as as it was and should keep Winston out of a body bag and on his feet. No excuse for a running game. And the defense should be even better.
4 or 5 wins he is gone. Enough wasted time with him.
July 2nd, 2015 at 9:01 am
Lovie tanked last season to get Jameis Winston, Lovie is playing these fools like a yo-yo. Lovie is the man 10-6 this season, they can take this to the bank.
July 2nd, 2015 at 9:20 am
LakelandBuc Says:
July 2nd, 2015 at 9:01 am
Lovie tanked last season to get Jameis Winston, Lovie is playing these fools like a yo-yo. Lovie is the man 10-6 this season, they can take this to the bank.
—————-
I hope your right, as Lovie needs a 9-7 campaign to atleast equal Schiano’s two year mark.
July 2nd, 2015 at 9:22 am
You’re right*
July 2nd, 2015 at 9:31 am
I still like Schiano better than Lovie. He was railroaded out too soon. Drill sergeant huh, then shape up team. He is a better coach than Lovie. Case closed.
July 2nd, 2015 at 9:37 am
The pic of the year of Lovie was the one of him directing traffic, that was a gasser. The one above is honorable mention.
July 2nd, 2015 at 9:57 am
With all the changes if he only wins 6 games this year that is 8/24 in 2 years. And you really think the owners are going to let it continue? They will be lucky if Dirk is here next year and not a head coach somewhere as it is.
July 2nd, 2015 at 10:04 am
Dear Happy Smiles Joe,
How are you today? How about that sun outside – bright isn’t it! Just a thought, and don’t let me bring you down here (it is after all Friday on a Thursday), but what would be Lovie’s ranking here be if he didn’t coach the Bears; aka he is a first time coach in the NFL, puking before games, wide eyed in the big lights and he turns out that kind of season. I know I know, you’re starting to get sad but come’on, they couldn’t even go without mentioning the Bears in the description. Is this a ranking of active coach’s careers?
July 2nd, 2015 at 10:06 am
Now some friends and I were talking, we see worst case: 4 wins, best case 7. No way they hit .500 unless the Rams, Redskins, Giants, and/or Eagles implode
July 2nd, 2015 at 10:15 am
Which is evidenced by all the job interviews and offers he’s received over the past 2 offseasons?
July 2nd, 2015 at 10:22 am
2-14, bad game management, bad drafting, bad roster moves, bad assistant coaches, and a undisciplined team makes Lovie a bad coach.
Stop giving this loser a pass. When did our bar of success become so low?
July 2nd, 2015 at 10:59 am
I want to see power rankings for the cheerleaders!
July 2nd, 2015 at 11:57 am
I think schiano is still under contract so he can’t get job offers, am I wrong?
July 2nd, 2015 at 12:01 pm
Lovie is a mediocre coach and a horrendous personnel man???
“Mediocre” coaches don’t sustain a winning record, win playoff games, and make it to the super bowl at the NFL level. There is no such thing as “meaningless records” and 3 playoff wins is more playoff wins than MOST COACHES get in a LIFETIME!
I bet the next thing your going to do is try to convince everyone here that climate change is NOT REAL!
You prefer Schiano over Lovie!? I’m assuming you don’t need any convincing that climate change is NOT REAL. That’s probably already set in stone, but lets compare some things.
More Success?
Lovie
Better Coach?
Lovie
Better Cook?
Lovie
Better dressed?
Lovie
Sexier?
Lovie hands down
BIGGER WANG?
please…..
hopefully that helps..
“It’s as simple as that” – Lovie Smith
July 2nd, 2015 at 1:14 pm
Schiano 2 years with the Bucs 11 wins, top 10 offense in 2012. Lovie 1 year 2 wins…
Easy to see who the better Bucs coach is…so far
July 2nd, 2015 at 2:40 pm
18 is way too high!
July 2nd, 2015 at 3:25 pm
You are right AND wrong at the same time.
Yes he is still under contract. He signed a 5 year contract worth $15M, which obviously breaks down to $3M/year.
To my knowledge, any job he takes would require him to no longer be able to keep collecting on that salary. So, he could can get job offers all day, but he won’t be able to double dip in his salary like players do.
Per Coaches Hot Seat, at that salary, he would be the lowest paid head coach in the NFL… so basically ANY NFL head coaching job he would’ve accepted (if offered) would’ve been more than he’s making currently.
I’m not really sure how NCAA pay works, but per USA Today: Sports, that $3M would put him at ~#25 among the 128 schools listed.
July 2nd, 2015 at 4:35 pm
Celly
So what you’re saying is schiano is so good he gets PAID to watch football in his basement? Lol. All jokes aside schiano took Rutgers from 2 win seasons to 10 win season. He has quite a few solid players in the NFL and he’s from the northeast. The northeast.
July 2nd, 2015 at 7:45 pm
The Glazers should be tired of firing coaches, they fired Tony Dungy after a playoff season, they fired Jon Gruden after a 9-7 season ( because the Bucs were 9-3 in first place then loss their remaining 4 games including a loss to the lowly Raiders in their final game) they fired Rah one season after going 10-6, they actually started 2011 going 4-2 including wins over the Falcons and Saints, then the bottom fell out, losing their last 10.Then came Schiano 7-9 and 4-12, they can’t continue to change their coaching staff like a mother change their baby pampers, especially with a young QB. If they do we can expect to be Bottom Feeders for a long time.
July 2nd, 2015 at 9:30 pm
Lovie Smith is 83-77, .519 and .500 in the playoffs. Lovie is one of only 50 coachs in NFL history to win 83 games or more. Lovie is a players coach. He has never had a franchise QB and the right OC in his career. After this year all the Lovie haters will praise him for one of the greatest turnarounds in NFL history.