Koetter Lands Prized DL Coach
January 16th, 2016
The Bucs bagged a helluva defensive line coach in Bengals assistant Jay Hayes.
Joe was a bit chagrin the Bucs did not retain fiery Joe Cullen as their defensive line coach. He did an OK job if not a good job, given what he had to work with.
However, Joe’s melancholy over Cullen being hired by the Crows was replaced when Joe learned who replaced him. That would be Jay Hayes, the long-time Bengals defensive line coach.
Hayes played defensive end in the USFL (Joe has a soft spot in his heart for the USFL and firmly believes it was 20 years or more ahead of its time) and has one helluva track record developing players. Shoot, he was able to make Ghost Johnson a decent defensive end. That alone tells Joe this guy knows what the hell he is doing.
Four of the last five years the Bengals have been a top-10 team in sacks. In 2011 and 2012, they were a top-five team. The one year the Bengals were not in the top-10 in sacks was 2014, when Ghost Johnson was shatting all over the field of the Den of Depression and Geno Atkins was dinged up.
In 2012, the Bengals’ front line recorded 40 sacks playing for Hayes — 40! — of the team’s 53 total sacks.
In 2012 and 2013, Hayes found a way to get 14 sacks (total) out of Wallace Gilberry, who, as you may remember, was not a Schiano Man.
One negative, sort of, with the Bengals is that they may go a wee bit over the line in terms of nastiness on defense. Damnit, isn’t it about time the Bucs get back to that?
Joe’s not talking dirty, but it’s about time offenses start wondering whether they will be able to walk a flight of stairs the next day from getting beat up by the Bucs.
Koetter already has said the Bucs need tougher football players. Well, this Hayes is a guy to coach toughness.
Yes, Joe was sad to see Cullen go. But Joe is even more excited to see what kind of magic Hayes can work. And it sure seems like the Bucs will target defensive players all offseason.
They need to.
January 16th, 2016 at 9:06 am
Looks like I was right about this move Joe. 😉
January 16th, 2016 at 9:09 am
We can only hope that Coach Hayes will make sure that Ol”Softie93 continues to have fun….cause that’s really what it’s all about right?
January 16th, 2016 at 9:10 am
I am glad to see Coach Koetter going out and getting other coaches who have that nasty in them. Coaches who have a pedigree of sorts. This D has been heartless for years now. This is starting out very well for us fellow Bucs fans.
January 16th, 2016 at 9:10 am
Crush…thump….bamm….slam…..slug….bite…..kick….scratch….claw….pillage…
pancake…….violate…bruise…..maim….slaughter….and then help them up!!!
January 16th, 2016 at 9:15 am
Yaaaa guys cmon Lets have some F U N -_- (someone kill me now )
January 16th, 2016 at 9:18 am
Isn’t Wallace Gillbery a FA also ? We can sign him for depth, you can never have to much depth on the dline. Plus a top name FA dline in Mario Williams, JPP, Fletcher Cox. Then draft one in round 1 or 2.
January 16th, 2016 at 9:20 am
Would love to hear fan reaction to this:
I think Spence and particularly Will Gholston are very nice players who were somewhat overlooked or unfit for the T-2 scheme. Gholston does have to keep his head on straight but otherwise has proven his skills motor. They both may show greater promise in a hybrid 4-3 that Smith is said to favor. This may take some pressure off the quest for a track-star DE.
Any thoughts?
January 16th, 2016 at 9:22 am
Stoked. Mike smith. Dline coach. Nice pick up. They will actually coach a team. Slant over the middle I hope is done deal. Joe. Get em fired up. Saw “the revenant ” last night. We need some heart. Jameis is there
January 16th, 2016 at 9:34 am
Getting more and more optimistic with every passing minute about how this whole thing is working out. Was concerned about Dirk trying to be both HC and OC … until Mike Smith was hired as DC. Their long-standing relationship, coupled with Mike Smith’s excellent defensive credentials, I think will be the key to making it all work.
Love the hires so far on the defensive side of the ball, especially Hayes as defensive line coach. Bucs need some nasty to regain their defensive heritage.
January 16th, 2016 at 9:35 am
Wonder why he would leave Cincy after all those years? Maybe he is ashamed to be associated with that group after the Pittsbugh game?
January 16th, 2016 at 9:40 am
So far Iam happy with the bucs hiring except the special teams hiring. …from what iam hearing his special teams were never above 20th in the league maybe they plan on bringing in another coach to pair him with like they did with Warthop last year….special teams are very important in winning also
January 16th, 2016 at 9:46 am
Strider…too funny
We gonna have fun, let’s have fun, we gonna have fun today.
January 16th, 2016 at 9:47 am
Sounds like just the guy to help GMC and LVD reach their potential.
January 16th, 2016 at 9:51 am
Not let’s go kick the ever living sh!t out of this team…smh
January 16th, 2016 at 9:54 am
My good man Joe I’m with you !
It’s time to have a very frightening defence.
If we can have a bit of that next year we can start expecting results, I mean positive season, playoffs possibilities and so on
January 16th, 2016 at 9:57 am
Bird…I feel asleep during the revenant.
January 16th, 2016 at 10:00 am
So excited about this coaching staff. This seems already to be the highest quality staff we have had since Gruden and Monte!
January 16th, 2016 at 10:03 am
“One negative, sort of, with the Bengals is that they may go a wee bit over the line in terms of nastiness on defense”
Now we’re talking. I will take some penalties, if it produces an even larger number of aggressive negative plays.
January 16th, 2016 at 10:08 am
Joe…you forgot to also add that he actually got Michael Ghost Johnson to actually look decent as well and that shocks me…you’re slipping.
January 16th, 2016 at 10:13 am
Oh he did get a mention I’m sorry Joe. It went right by me. Feel free to delete my ignorance.
January 16th, 2016 at 10:14 am
I can’t wait to see who we target in FA and the draft. Let’s go Bucs!!!
January 16th, 2016 at 10:28 am
here’s hoping that Hayes is primed to become a DC soon and can fill in for Mike Smith in the event the defense makes a big turnaround next year and Smith becomes a prized HC candidate once again.
January 16th, 2016 at 10:29 am
Are you going to write something about the…let’s just say less than desirable special teams coach we got from Tennessee? Worst hire so far.
January 16th, 2016 at 11:21 am
I too like this hire and don’t mind seeing Cullen go (I wanted Marinelli over Cullen anyway). I immediately checked the free agents in Atlanta and Cincinnati. Don’t love what’s there but hopefully some players want to follow these coaches down to Tampa. DLine or Secondary at #9!!
January 16th, 2016 at 11:43 am
Wonder why he would leave Cincy after all those years? Maybe he is ashamed to be associated with that group after the Pittsbugh game?
Interesting question G.
I think we frequently look at coaching moves from just OUR perspective and not that of the human being who is taking the job. All that talk about Saban being a prime example. Some here…not me..may have lusted to have Saban but why on earth would Nick give up one of the top jobs in the country. $$$ are irrelevant.
As for why Hayes would want to come here after the long stay in Cincy there could be several reasons when viewed from HIS perspective.
While it may look like a lateral move everybody and their brother knows Mike Smith is here to give us a couple of good years of good D’s..hopefully great D’s at which point we all know he’ll get another HC gig. Good for him that’s the way it’s supposed to work!
Hayes would then be on the short list to replace him.
In addition Marvin Lewis might be wearing out his welcome in Cincy. It’s one thing to lose every year in the first round of the playoffs it’s another to do it with a team of thugs( Rodney Harrison’s word not mine). The Bengals have embarrassed their team repeatedly on and off the field. Lewis has ZERO character demands from his team. Hayes legitimately might worry about his job security…and everybody loves a fresh start.
Hell Lewis has let the Cincy culture degrade sooo much that in addition to all the assault charges, road rage etc even the Bengal Cheerleaders had to get in on the act!! One of them a schoolteacher was busted for having sex with one of her students.
Perhaps Hayes had just seen enough.
January 16th, 2016 at 12:03 pm
Mike Smith and now Jay Hayes, the new defensive line coach, is just what the doctor ordered. We have a core group of players to build around including William Gholston, Akeem Spence, Gerold McCoy, Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander. Now lets go draft DE Robert Nkemdiche and get Mario Williams in FA.
January 16th, 2016 at 1:10 pm
Nastiness coming back to the Bucs D-line??? Bout Dam time if thats right, I’m all for it.
January 16th, 2016 at 1:29 pm
This hire THRILLS me ! (pretty boring life , huh ?)…. I am sure that Hayes has had multiple opportunities to change teams. Just like some of Koetter/Licht’s other hires. Think about it for a minute…. not one, but multiple coaches recruited so far, have a lot of experience and very good “reps’. Now, the fact that they are ALL coming to Tampa says 2 things to me:
1) they have a lot of respect for Koetter/Licht
2) they must really believe that they (collectively) can bring the Bucs to another Super Bowl !
ALL SYSTEMS ARE GO !!!!
January 16th, 2016 at 1:54 pm
Excellent points LargoSam.
January 16th, 2016 at 2:22 pm
@StPeteBucsFan….
THANKS ! Given these latest coaching hires…. I am pretty sure that the Bucs/Glaziers are finally on the right track ! Guys like these they have hired don’t leave jobs on a whim. That says a lot for Koetter, Licht, and Smith.
January 16th, 2016 at 4:09 pm
That’s gonna be the second happiest coach on the team after the draft.
January 16th, 2016 at 4:40 pm
He’s leaving Cinci because Marvin Lewis is next on the chopping block. Better to get ahead of the slaughtering to come. However, he is one of the Bucs few good new hires.
January 16th, 2016 at 5:22 pm
So far these are the most exciting coaching hires (from Koetter down to his new assistants) since Chucky. Seriously. Raheem and Schiano were questionable from the start and Lovie was not my first choice (though I did expect him to do better than he did) at the time.
Go Bucs!
January 17th, 2016 at 1:57 pm
Not a bad move
I dont like mike smith but hopefully he proves me wrong. The bears db coach hire seems pretty stupid but I guess I will wait until september to bitch about it