Father Dungy Says “Something Happened”
January 9th, 2016
Lovie Smith’s close friend and mentor, Father Dungy, shared his thoughts on Team Glazer and the Lovie firing yesterday.
Dungy joined the national radio airwaves on The Dan Patrick Show. Joe has transcribed all his comments below.
“I was a little shocked, but it’s happened before. [The Glazers] fired a coach who went to the playoffs four years out of five. They fired a coach who went to the Super Bowl,” Dungy said, referring to himself and Chucky.
“So nothing kind of surprises me there. But just talking about where they were, where they were going. They had Jameis Winston, looked like a franchise quarterback. They were going in the right direction. They won four more games than the year before. You thought maybe they would just ride it out and it would go pretty well, but it wasn’t the case.”
Dungy was asked by Patrick about the “immediacy” feel of the Lovie firing, and Dungy offered a theory.
“I think something happened,” Dungy said. “There’s a candidate they’re looking at that came available or that they talked to that they want. And that’s why it was done on a Wednesday, in the evening, for sure.”
So Dungy thinks “something happened.” Yes, Joe agrees wholeheartedly. And Joe is confident the full and complete truth will be very hard to find.
January 9th, 2016 at 10:47 am
Yea, there obsession with Chip Kelly took over. Just Kidding
January 9th, 2016 at 10:51 am
Well when youre told the head coach plans on bringing a defensive consultant then that’s when you change your view.
January 9th, 2016 at 10:51 am
Something happened? No kidding, Dungy. Here, this is what happened:
– Lovie’s defense was simply dreadful, no other way to describe it.
– Several players who could have helped this team were ran out of town.
– Multiple failures in free agency of biblical proportion.
– Utter inability to adapt and make the necessary changes for the betterment of the team
– Just when the team seemed to be relevant again, a total collapse during the final quarter of the season ruined everything.
And I could go on and on, really. That’s what happened.
January 9th, 2016 at 10:53 am
8-24 happened
January 9th, 2016 at 10:58 am
Simple as that!
January 9th, 2016 at 11:07 am
@Joe … ‘And Joe is confident the full and complete truth will be very hard to find.’
The full and complete truth is only known by the Glazers, Licht, and Lovie. No real reason for any of them to share that with anyone in my opinion. We’ll all speculate, but doubt seriously we’ll ever know how their decision-making process ran.
January 9th, 2016 at 11:07 am
I think what happened was the Glazers finally came to their senses.
Now, based on who they hire, we’ll all see if the epiphany was only temporary
January 9th, 2016 at 11:08 am
I suspect Licht & Lovie discussed next year (at the request of the Glazers) Licht found that Lovie was going to reatain his coaches (son) etc….bring in a Defensive consultant…..then Licht and the Glazers decided……bye, bye!!!
January 9th, 2016 at 11:09 am
WELL IT’S A LITTLE DIFFERENT ON FIRING LOVIE DON’T YOU THINK, DUNGY
!!!
January 9th, 2016 at 11:11 am
Here we go again the guberville clan that knows everything
January 9th, 2016 at 11:13 am
YOU HAD FOUR YEARS AND NO S/B , YOU JUST COULDN’T MAKE IT OVER THE HUMP, THATS WHY YOU WHERE CANED !!! THE ONE I DON’T UNDERSTAND IS THE FIRING OF GRUDEN , I THINK THEY WISHED THEY HAD THAT BULLET BACK NOW !!!
January 9th, 2016 at 11:24 am
8-24 happened. Michael Johnson happened, Anthony Collins happened, Tim Jennings happened, Alteraun Verner happened. Why are people so blind and ignorant to the fact that the only reason we improved our record was because of Winston and Keotter??
January 9th, 2016 at 11:24 am
It’s very clear to me what happened, after hearing Jason’s press conference:
The Bucs received interview requests for Dirk.
That led to them ponder the Bucs without him, which led to them to think they might keep him by making him the HC.
Once they started thinking about losing Lovie, they realized he didn’t deserve to stay and decided Dirk or not, he had to go.
Shoot holes in this timeline, I can’t think of any more plausible scenario, based on the known facts.
January 9th, 2016 at 11:28 am
I think also when a so called “defensive genius” aka Lovie Smith comes into your office and tells you to your face that he needs a consultant to help him with his own defense must have set the Glazers on fire. They must have wanted to smack Lovie with a wooden paddle with the words “simple as that” right on his A$$!!
January 9th, 2016 at 11:29 am
I wish it was where a city and the fans could vote owners out….
January 9th, 2016 at 11:29 am
Great insight Dungy. I can tell you what happened. Its pretty easy. 8-24 happened. 3 home wins and 3 divsion wins in 2 years happened. To many blowouts to count in the same time frame happened. To many imcompetent coaching and personnell decisions happened.
January 9th, 2016 at 11:30 am
@Can’t fix it
First of all lose the all caps. I rarely read them…it’s you SHOUTING at all of us. Save them for emphasis.
As to you theory about Dungy versus Gruden.
Dungy’s Buc record – 54-42 a .563 win % He turned around what was widely considered the WORST franchise in the NFL at the time he was hired. Thank you Hugh Culverhouse.
Chucky’s Buc record 57-55 a .509 win % If you take just the years AFTER the SB Chucky’s record is 45-51!
Both of these guys were good coaches. Both won Super Bowls. Both are an example of a lack of patience and in Chucky’s case a lack of $$$ investment because of ManU.
Or there is the simple explanation…neither Dungy nor Chucky found a franchise QB. We see what Manning did for Dungy and what even a good if not great QB Brad Johnson did for Chucky. No QB..no job in today’s NFL.
January 9th, 2016 at 11:39 am
@StPete – well said, especially the QB importance.
January 9th, 2016 at 11:41 am
3 home wins in two years happened. That’s a publicly funded stadium, The people have seen enough.
January 9th, 2016 at 11:44 am
Gase got hired in Miami. So much for Koetter jumping ship.
January 9th, 2016 at 11:48 am
I can only imagine who Lovie would have picked for a consultant. Would anyone have been surprised if it was Father Dungy himself! Or maybe Herm Edwards or someone from the Dungy circle. They would come in, look at some game films. Discuss Lovie and Leslie’s plans going forward. And tell us all how Lovie has got it going in the right direction. No changes needed here.
January 9th, 2016 at 12:05 pm
If your surprised you didn’t watch the defensive product on the field this season lol.
Simple as that.
Mark it down for me and Couch as being right again ahaha 😉
January 9th, 2016 at 12:08 pm
Hmm, interesting that the Dolphins hired Adam Gase without even talking to that hot HC candidate destined for greatness, Dirk Koetter, lol. What were they thinking in passing over this amazing greatness? Same thing for San Francisco, who is going to hire Hue Jackson, or Philadelphia, who isn’t going to hire him either. So the Bucs blew their coach out in the middle of an obvious rebuild to everyone apparently except them and attribute it all to a guy who flamed out at Arizona State because he got the a good rookie year out of a guy most people who weren’t with an agenda would tell you was going to be a star before Tampa took him last year regardless of who your OC is. Btw, how many teams have Dirk Koetter offenses been part of that went to the playoffs? I’m going to let you look that up because it’s not pretty either. Just another fail on the part of the Glazer regime that seemingly tops itself in incompetence when you think they can’t do more to do so.
January 9th, 2016 at 12:11 pm
lol buddy they are hiring other candidates because he’s not going to be available 😉
January 9th, 2016 at 12:17 pm
PRBucFan
Agree 100%. This just tells me the league believes Koetter is already the man.
Again re the Rooney rule. I realize we have enough black coaches now and racism in the NFL has largely been eradicated unlike our society at large.
There is a great compromise to be had however. The young black coaches who are given an interview are still benefitting even if they never really had a chance.
Great PR as a hot commodity and experience in the interview process.
So…if a team hires from within or is basically just promoting somebody they should be able to announce that immediately without the charade of the Rooney rule.
In any other situation it’s no big deal.
January 9th, 2016 at 12:19 pm
DDDDDDDDD IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII RRRRRRRRRR KKK KKK
DD DD IIII RRR RRR KKK KK
DD DD IIII RRRRRRRRR KKK KK
DD DD IIII RRR RR KKK KK
DD DD IIII RRR RR KKK KK
DDDDDDDDD IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII RRR RR KKK KKK
#################SIMPLE AS THAT ###############
January 9th, 2016 at 12:21 pm
I just tune out Dungy when he has an opinion. How he was elevated to bigshot TV talking head and is apparently a Hall of Fame given inductee boggles my mind.
January 9th, 2016 at 12:25 pm
Isn’t he the same MF who wanted Marcus Mariota? Then he says “they had” a franchise QB. WTF! MF they HAVE a franchise QB.
January 9th, 2016 at 12:27 pm
PRBucFan ,
You’ll see. When you and your fellow fans turn on him shortly because you realize like everyone else does, that your owners don’t know wtf they’re doing if they hire this guy. Please give me the precedent for guy in major conference football job failing and then getting better at the job in the NFL. I’ll wait because I know the precedent doesn’t exist. But Koetter is going to be the first, lmao. It would be funny if it wasn’t going to be so sad for Jameis.
January 9th, 2016 at 12:33 pm
is apparently a Hall of Fame given inductee boggles my mind.
Really Bucfan37?
REALLY? When Dungy was hired the Bucs hadn’t had a winning season in 13 years! And that 82 season was the strike shortened season.
In the 13 years before Dungy the Bucs were 58-159. That is HORRID! It’s roughly a 25% winning %…1 out of four!!!
Dungy took one year!!! ONE YEAR to turn this franchise around! I’m a Sam Wyche fan and so I believe he gets the short shrift here since he assembled a lot of the talent but Dungy was the coach that finally go it DONE.
He then went to Indy and won a SB!! He a great coach! Not my fave because he’s BORING as hell and I hate his philosophy which I also believe is no outdated in today’s NFL with all the rule changes.
But please…some respect for Dungy AND Chucky. They’re both very successful men and coaches. Are they perfect of course not but they are NOT the reason the Bucs are where they are today.
January 9th, 2016 at 12:33 pm
Btw, if he wanted to interview with Miami, he could have. The Bucs couldn’t have stopped it. So no, it’s not because they “knew he wasn’t going to be available.” It’s a free country. He could go an interview at these places if he pleased, but no one in their right mind thought they would hire him in the first place. Yep, teams are always all over last place team’s OCs (and that’s not just this year; that’s been most years of the offenses he’s coordinated, but I guess that was those head coaches faults too). I know I’d be all over the 20th rank offensive PPG offensive coordinator whose offense looked just as bad as the defense during the so called “playoff” push for such a bad team coming into the year. But I’ll wait for that to all be Jameis’ fault in the next year or 2 as we start this all over again and you run him out of town when he inevitably fails with this sorry coach hire.
January 9th, 2016 at 1:10 pm
You didn’t need to transcribe this…
I read it somewhere on the interests yesterday.
January 9th, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Silent_Partner
but no one in their right mind thought they would hire him in the first place.
So if someone disagrees with you that means they are not in their right mind?
Because that is a LARGE group around the NFL. Pete Schrager at Fox had him listed as 7th best HC prospect…other have him higher..others lower…point is that plenty of NFL pundit/experts believe Koetter deserves an HC position and especially fits the Bucs position.
So no, it’s not because they “knew he wasn’t going to be available.” It’s a free country.
??? Of course they could waste all that time and money and still bring him in even if the Bucs do plan to hire him. The point is if they know it’s a done deal why are they going to waste their time and energy interviewing a man they know is unavailable?
If he was black then they might do it just to cover the Rooney rule for their team…but with Koetter your point makes absolutely no sense.
January 9th, 2016 at 1:56 pm
STPETEBUCSFAN SAY:
WHY DON’T YOU STAY OFF HERE AND LEAVE BUC FANS ALONE WITH ((YOUR CAPS ARE ON )) I KNOW THERE ON AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT DON’T READ IT , THERE IS PEOPLE ON HERE THAT DON’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU WRITE , AT LEAST I DON’T !! SO LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE , AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT MOVE ON !!! HOW ABOUT ((A)) !!!
January 9th, 2016 at 1:58 pm
Those of you that think that a new HC solves this team’s problems are in for a rude awakening. Yes, some of this year’s disappointment can be placed on the HC but the players share in the blame also. How many times did we see players do something dumb and get penalized at a critical point in the game? Too many. Yes, there is coaching discipline but there should also be self-discipline from professional football players. Ever remember Sapp or McFarland kicking another player while that player was on the ground? Ever remember Galloway getting thrown out of a game for verbally abusing a ref? This team had the talent to be 8-8 and even 9-7, and threw it away. A lot more has to change than the HC.
January 9th, 2016 at 2:11 pm
Hiring Koetter as head coach will be one of the worst decisions this Buc organization has ever made. The man was a so so college head coach and has no HC experience at this level. But like Dungy says. This is typical of the Bucs. They fired him, gruden and Lovie who was headed in the right direction. Bucs want that, Instant oatmeal winner. Ain’t happening as you faithful shall soon see. You will get your golden boy Koetter fans. But BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. Could turn into a nightmare. Defense wins championships.
January 9th, 2016 at 2:22 pm
All caps doesn’t help you express your viewpoint. It’s the internet equivalent of talking to someone while having rancid bad breath.
Don’t get mad because I speak the truth, Ask yourself, why isn’t anyone, anywhere, not just here, using all caps? There’s a reason for that.
January 9th, 2016 at 2:46 pm
@Can’tfixit
YOUR CAPS ARE ON )) I KNOW THERE ON AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT DON’T READ IT , THERE IS PEOPLE ON HERE THAT DON’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU WRITE , AT LEAST I DON’T !! SO LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE , AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT MOVE ON !!! HOW ABOUT ((A)) !!!
LOL…Wasn’t trying to insult you just giving you a little tip about internet blogs but it’s your choice of course.
And you are half correct. Yes I can easily scroll and that’s what I tell people who do not like my stuff….but trust me there are people here who hate my stuff and haven’t been hestitant about telling me! 🙂
January 9th, 2016 at 3:05 pm
CAN’T FIX IT Says
“…YOU JUST COULDN’T MAKE IT OVER THE HUMP, THATS WHY YOU WHERE CANED !!!”
That would mean so much more if you knew proper grammar and spelling.
January 9th, 2016 at 3:08 pm
“I KNOW THERE ON AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT DON’T READ IT , THERE IS PEOPLE ON HERE…”
Keep going, you are on a roll.
January 9th, 2016 at 3:09 pm
@StPeteBucsFan
I hate your stuff.
.
Just kidding.
January 9th, 2016 at 3:51 pm
Did anyone say he wasn’t allowed to interview?
I know I didn’t, rather that they know he’s not available.
Á la he has no obligation to interview if he’s set where he’s at lol.
And I don’t “turn” on anyone because that’s not how this works. I simply base everything off the product they put out.
It was simple. Lovie was a “defensive guru” and the worst part of his team was his defense. That spells doom in and of itself.
January 9th, 2016 at 3:56 pm
“??? Of course they could waste all that time and money and still bring him in even if the Bucs do plan to hire him. The point is if they know it’s a done deal why are they going to waste their time and energy interviewing a man they know is unavailable?”
Thanks for explaining so clearly for him StPete lol
January 9th, 2016 at 4:38 pm
BUCCANEERBONZAI SAY::
I DONE MORE IN MY LIFE THAN YOU EVER WELL , SO KEEP INSULTING PEOPLE !!! I HOPE YOU HAVE THE LORD ON YOU SIDE !!! IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR BOOK SMART BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY WALKIN SENCE !!!
January 9th, 2016 at 6:14 pm
Blind loyalty to incompetent coaches was always one of Dungy’s key attributes. Not much has changed.
January 9th, 2016 at 6:21 pm
Sorry dude but you shouldn’t post if you can’t read or spell. Your new name should be CAN’T FIX STUPID OR CAN’T TURN OFF CAPS. Stop Making a fool of yourself. My 10 year old can put together better sentences, plus she knows how to turn off caps. Smh
January 9th, 2016 at 6:23 pm
Gotta love the window lickers!
January 9th, 2016 at 7:42 pm
i’ve been a buc fan my whole life – i’ve been quiet on the boards the past couple years…but i gotta tell ya – lovie was a schmuck who seemed to get out coached on most occasions…and was living off his laurels of just being a cheap knock off of dungy…he should thank dungy for all he has gotten – looks like we might have a real qb – except he sails a lot of passes…like freeman did…accuracy is questionable at times…but anyway get a real coach in here…lovie only had a cool name and that’s why the glazers kept him in town for a second season…soon he’s gonna be blowing his wad of dough at the lingerie shops off dale mabry, if they’re still around…otherwise get th lug head on the first flight out of town…he never was a real head coach imho…let’s see how all this transpires in glazerville…the bucs or yucs will always be my team…
adam from ny
January 9th, 2016 at 7:45 pm
also mccoy ain’t all that…and jameis has figured that out quick
adam from ny
January 9th, 2016 at 9:14 pm
Will the real Bucs fans please stand up? Are you not tired of making excuses for the Glazers, how many of you are ready to end your season tickets because of the glazers and stop blaming everything on the coaches. And adam from ny, what is a real coach? Life time fan. None of you or me have as much true football knowledge as the coaches you consistently criticise, but as for what the Glazers do; hell i can make bad coaching moves and hope for the best! But bottom line, my opinion coach Lovie deserved a defensive draft,and maybe with that defensive end we never had or let go; Revis fans 16 million per year and he’s home just like the bucs corners, there may have been a difference maker in the 1St and 4th quarters of games.
January 10th, 2016 at 7:11 am
McDermott happened!
January 10th, 2016 at 9:08 am
Interesting, Dungy can’t even be honest. He’s pathetic.
January 10th, 2016 at 9:11 am
Dungy “turned things around” with Wyche’s players. Brooks, Lynch, Sapp…Dungy won’ games because of Wyche’s players.
January 10th, 2016 at 11:56 am
When Dungy won the Super Bowl in Indy, didn’t he win with the prior coaches players?
January 10th, 2016 at 1:07 pm
What happened is Lovie is a mediocre coach throughout his career. He was in Chicago and was even worse here. I hate the fact we have to start with a new staff again. But, Lovie clearly wasn’t the coach for this team. He couldn’t control them. I am stoked we finally get rid of the Tampa 2 defense, that is clearly past its time in todays short passing offenses. I hope we make the right decision.
I do like Joe’s dark horse candidate Todd Haley. Koetter would be ok with me since he has already bonded well with Jameis. We need an offensive minded coach IMO. Hue Jackson and the OC in Arizona would both be good picks as well. And someone who will hire a DC and let him do his job. We have the pick of the litter right now. Don’t screw it up. I have faith in Licht. Just hope the Glazer kids stay out of the decision making process.
January 11th, 2016 at 7:43 am
The “dungy won with wyche’s player” is such a joke I don’t know where to begin. Wyche’s players had 5 years, best they could do with sapp brooks lynch Nickerson was 7-9, which was the best record in 12 years!
It wasn’t coaching, it was an air of losing mentality that Dungy had to get rid of. As a DC, Dungy would tell hisVikings players don’t give the Bucs a chance, because as soon as something bad happens, the Bucs expected more bad to happen.
If you weren’t around for an era, don’t comment on it. Save that for the people who were here.
Now..on to Lovie and such…an experienced offensive coordinator getting a chance to be a head coach..what a shock! I felt Lovie deserved a fair 2nd year. Not third…that heart attackTedford nonsense was unrecoverable, no matter how good you are.
And for the last time, the rules have not changed that much, if anything passing is more dominant right? Well the Tampa 2 is an anti passing defense!! Unjust have to play it perfectly with the right people.
Anyone agree if Lovie had spent all his draft picks on defense everyone would have said ” same ole Lovie, games passed him by, thinks all u need is defense?” Because if you agree, then your wrong to think that about him after spending 13 of 14 picks on offense.