Tampa Bay’s Bruce Arians
January 17th, 2016
General manager Jason Licht opened up on the process of hiring Dirk Koetter to be the Buccaneers’ 11th head coach.
Licht was swarmed by Joe and other media after Koetter was introduced Friday inside the classy auditorium of One Buc Palace. The GM was pressed to put into words the moment when he knew Koetter was the guy and why.
Licht explained, in part, that comfort and gut feelings were in the mix.
“While we were sitting here watching Dirk, I knew he was the right guy, through the process,” Licht said. “And when we made the decision, I knew he was the right guy. I guess I can just put it like this: I looked to my wife and I said, ‘We got the right guy.’ There’s an ease, a comfort level. It’s very similar to the comfort level that I was around when we decided, Mr. Bidwell and [Cardinals general manager] Steve Keim, in Arizona that Bruce Arians was the right guy. That’s the best way I can describe it.”
Arians was hired when Licht was the No. 2 man in the Cardinals’ front office, back in 2013. Arians was coming off winning NFL coach of the year with the Colts. There he won a stunning nine games as interim head coach, his first shot at a head job at 60 years old. Koetter turns 57 in a few weeks.
Koetter’s vast experience in the college and pro ranks — he called plays for three NFL teams with top-10 offenses — was a major factor, and it will give Koetter a heavy hand in all things Bucs, Licht explained.
“He’s been through everything. We used the word “battle-tested” all the time, a little bit too much sometimes, but he really has been. I’m going to lean on him through a lot of situations. We’re going to work together. We’ve got a great relationship.”
Bucs fans can dream that Koetter is their Arians. There surely are similarities on the surface.
January 17th, 2016 at 10:15 am
If nothing else we get an absolute change of direction in aggression.
No I’m not talking about “mean” players. I’m talking aggressive play calling.
And so when we’re on the five yard line with 4th and a yard and a chance to go up three over a team with a talented offense…he won’t simply kick the FG. He’ll try and put the dagger in the other teams heart.
One of Lovie’s…Tony Dungy’s…and for that matter MOST football coaches greatest flaws is they are toooooo conservative!!!
Koetter is already talking about taking off some restraints on #3 after seeing his remarkable progress in his rookie year. He’s actually said he’s ready to let #3 win some games for us!!!! NO defensive coach thinks like that.
I am soooo glad we didn’t name another defensive guru to lead this team. What a total waste of #3’s talent!!!
January 17th, 2016 at 10:19 am
Arians plays to win. As he said last night after the game. Hopefully we will be moving on from the past few years of playing not to lose.
January 17th, 2016 at 10:21 am
Speaking of Bruce Arians, what an amazing win by the Cardinals over the Pack last night! That game was one of the most exciting I’ve seen in a long time. Aaron Rogers and Carson Palmer both battled through adversity….Rogers even had to do it with a bunch of rookie receivers…and showed what great QB’s can do! After a great game like that, I can’t wait to see Jameis and the Bucs….and our new coaching staff…..back out on the field in 2016! Go Bucs!
January 17th, 2016 at 10:22 am
I was never a fan of Lovie’s “kill them with kindness approach”
January 17th, 2016 at 10:46 am
I noticed when Koetter commented on calling plays as the head coach…..has nobody looking over his shoulder…..I’m sure when it came to going for it on 4th down…Lovie made all those calls…..I suspect Koetter will play to win. You can do that when you have Jameis.
January 17th, 2016 at 10:59 am
@Jeagan
I couldn’t agree more that was an awesome game last night!!!
Most of us are transplants and so we have a 2nd favorite team behind the Bucs.
I’ve mentioned that’s the Bengals for me…for my wife it’s the Pack. That’s who she grew up watching on Michigan’s UP.
But I really like Arians and feel sorry for Palmer and Fitzgerald and so I was torn.
Poor Palmer…that’s the worst I’ve seen him play since his Bengal days. He clearly had an off night and my wife the Packer fan kept yelling choker at the screen. That’s just not nice! LOL
So for me it turned out perfectly!!! My wife gave up when the Cards kicked the FG…I said don’t worry you have Aaron Rodgers..you needed a TD anyway now you need two extra points on that TD…I asked her whether she would go for the tie or the win…she wimped out and didn’t say.
To see Aaron Rodgers just add another amazing “Hail Mary” to his record was just amazing. Imagine how that backup receiver felt after that catch!!!
But to have Larry Fitzgerald basically win that game…just awesome baby!
January 17th, 2016 at 11:00 am
Be prepared to watch the offense take advantage of every second they have on the game clock and try to score. Unlike last season when garbage a$$ Lovie would run the clock out with 2 mins left in the half. He wouldn’t even try and get a FG. I’m glad his weak a$$ is gone.
January 17th, 2016 at 11:01 am
Got a good feelin’ about Dirk & Mike.
January 17th, 2016 at 11:38 am
I definitely feel WAY better about the Bucs as a whole than I did a few weeks ago before Lovie got the axe.
Simple as that.
January 17th, 2016 at 12:07 pm
There are still question marks on the defense. There are big problems to solve. The defense’s success or failure will decide the fate of this staff.
January 17th, 2016 at 12:08 pm
Similar also to Tony Dungy, a long time assistant passed over numerous times before getting his gig.
He knew exactly what to do, defensively anyway, to build a winner.
Thankfully, this is unlike the Raheem, and Richard Williamson cases, neither of which had the kind of resume of Arians or Dirk.
Additionally, neither Arians or Dungy had America’s QB!
January 17th, 2016 at 12:14 pm
That was a great game last night. That might have been the most fun I’ve had watching a game that didn’t include the Bucs. Cards are my 2nd fav team right now. I admit though. I’m one hell of a bandwagon jumper when it comes to my 2nd favorite team. I don’t study and decide who to like, I just kind of grow to like certain teams. I’m a big Arians fan and Palmer fan. Nothing would make me happier if Koetter was our Arians
January 17th, 2016 at 12:27 pm
Yeah, really envious of Arians and his Cardinals. That’s a model that you should try to copy to be sure, unless you’re in charge of an even better one. What a difference good coaches and a good plan make. Sure hope Koetter is the man that will finally implement a solid plan and a winning mentality, with the help of Winston.
January 17th, 2016 at 12:43 pm
I like Arians and I am all for aggressive playcalling, but there’s a difference between aggressive and stupid. Throwing the ball on 2nd down with just over 2 mintes left and Green Bay having no timeouts, was stupid and almost cost Arizona the game. That being said, Arizona and Seattle both have respectable chances to beat Carolina and wipe that grin off of Cam’s face.
January 17th, 2016 at 2:10 pm
Rob in Land O’ Lakes:
Looks like that sh!t eating grin of Cam’s is going to bw wide for another week. I really hate that guy. I was really hoping Seattle would take them out.
On topic…
Arian seems to be a solid coach. Filling in – and winning in Indy. Ver competitive teams in AZ. I think the combo of Koetter and #3 can be a deadly one for years to come.
The draft and OTAs can’t get here soon enough!
January 17th, 2016 at 2:41 pm
It looks like the only major offensive coaching vacancy is WR. I haven’t heard anything announced regarding OL with Warhop but at least he is still listed on the Buccaneers website unlike the WR coach.
Is P.J. Fleck ready to leave W. Mich yet?
January 17th, 2016 at 2:57 pm
I remember watching the 1st-play-of-the-game touchdown bomb to Evans (I forget which game). I was like “dafuq was that?!”, “I’ve never seen the Buccaneers make a play like that”.
January 17th, 2016 at 6:55 pm
Howard that was the Washington game. Beautiful pass and catch
January 17th, 2016 at 8:37 pm
I hope we go for 2 at least as often as the Steelers do
January 17th, 2016 at 10:45 pm
For your sake there Licht..You’d better hope and pray Koetter is the right man. Cause if not..In 2 yrs you’re gonna complete the trio of Schiano and Lovie..fishin off of the Tampa Bay bridge while tellin war stories!
January 18th, 2016 at 11:35 am
Arians is a very good comparison for Koetter, let’s hope that Koetter has the same kind of success as Arians is having with the Cardinals.