New Vibe From The New Coordinator
April 26th, 2016
Mike Smith is no Lovie Smith
Gone are the days of stoic Leslie Frazier and Lovie Smith serving as defensive shotcallers and playcallers of the Tampa Bay defense.
Mike Smith is in town, and while his gray hair and cuddly build may resemble your mellow father-in-law or the old man in the house on the corner, Smith is a fiery coach.
Joe snapped the photo above this afternoon on the too-humid-for-April fields at One Buc Palace. Joe has many other photos like it.
It’s already clear Smith will bring a different level of passion than what many Bucs defensive players are used to.
Passion doesn’t win games, neither to sideline theatrics, but it feels like a healthy defensive vibe has returned — probably because the last one was so unhealthy.
April 26th, 2016 at 3:13 pm
Well, we know for sure that incompetent coach my scheme does not win games!!! Thanks for the high draft picks and humiliation of the product he put on the field!!! He will not be missed!!!!
So excited for Coach Smitty!!!!!!! You guys are going to love to hear how excited the players will be coming into training camp after they spend some quality time with Coach Smitty!!!!!!!!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 3:14 pm
Wuuuu Huuuuu !!! Keep it coming Joe. GO BUCS!
April 26th, 2016 at 3:19 pm
I like Coach Smith also. A friend told me he didn’t like him and that he looked like a used car salesman. That’s some ridiculous critique in my view.
April 26th, 2016 at 3:33 pm
Yay. Live football practice.
Set the tone Smitty. Its time for these players to get serious about becoming a good defense.
The talent level does still need a bit of upgrading in a few spots – but we’ve got enough talent in key spots to be competitive right now. I’m convinced of it. Make it so Mike Smith.
April 26th, 2016 at 3:45 pm
Did you hear any swear words Joe?
April 26th, 2016 at 3:51 pm
@87
EARMUFFS!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 3:54 pm
What Smith will bring to our defense is equal to another first round draft pick and a couple of top flight free agents. his coaching will prove, IMO, to be one of the big lifts in this offseason.
April 26th, 2016 at 3:55 pm
How many defenses has GMC been through? Just wondering, mmmmm…
April 26th, 2016 at 3:56 pm
Let’s not forget, Lovie did want Marinelli
April 26th, 2016 at 4:23 pm
I remember once the Falcons were playing the Bucs, I was watching on TV, and I saw Mike Smith drop an “in your face, m’fer!” after some penalty on the Bucs. Clearly read his lips say it. He hated the Bucs then.
I’m willing to bet he’ll have the same hatred toward ATL on week 1. Can’t wait for the season to start.
April 26th, 2016 at 4:25 pm
How do you know he wanted Marinelli? Cause you read somewhere he did? Even though he wasn’t available.
April 26th, 2016 at 4:34 pm
If my last name was Smith, I’d change it. There are too many of them.
April 26th, 2016 at 4:51 pm
Can you smell what’s cookin”? You can just feel it in the air!
April 26th, 2016 at 5:02 pm
lets see if he can improve the defense before we start singing praise….GO BUCS!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 5:05 pm
Ah, the refreshing memories of SGT. Rock, Remember him?
April 26th, 2016 at 5:11 pm
Anything is better than the last 4 years of horrific coaching. The bar is REALLY low lol.
Coach Halftime is for Bathroom Breaks not Coaching Adjustments and Coach My Outdated Failed Scheme with Jennings & Jenkins. Hopefully we can just think of this guy as Coach Mike Smith
April 26th, 2016 at 5:43 pm
Mike Smith WILL have this team in the top ten defenses of the league by November. You can take that to the bank. The defense will be aggressive, gang tackling, blitzing, and with an attitude. GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 5:51 pm
Here’s another thought…You will like this Joe.
Brian Billick and Mike Smith are brother’s in law. Don’t you think Billick would offer to watch some tape for his brother in law or maybe a game to offer any insight. Maybe he could watch our future opponent play and pass along some notes to Mike Smith. I say all of that to say this….We are possibly getting TWO great defensive guru’s for the price of one.
April 26th, 2016 at 6:21 pm
Whatever we want results. Let’s see results.
April 26th, 2016 at 6:43 pm
Smiths defenses in Atlanta were soft and not very good. Lovie had a much better and longer track record of success on defense, the people excited about a Falcons defense in Tampa I don’t think actually ever watched the Falcons play.
April 26th, 2016 at 6:51 pm
@GhostofShiano
Don’t know if I should applaud or tag u as a troll…Damm i feel ya, but some sh!t can’t b spoken in public…tighten up
#BUCUTALKINBOUT
#YO JOE!
GO BUCS!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 7:46 pm
Not only am I excited with the new coaching, I’m excited about the indoor practice facility too come. It may be no excuse in some minds, but it seems to me that if they alternate practices between indoor and outdoor it will help keep the players fresh and make it easier for them to game plan throughout the week.
Fired up!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 8:15 pm
Everybody here says they are, Excited. We have not won a regular season game..yet. That’s like trying to spend money not yet in your hands. Mind you, there were reasons Mr. Smith was let go from the Falcons. Guess I’ll be taking bids on that swamp land available in Lake Okeechobee.
April 26th, 2016 at 8:47 pm
@mike Johnson
being an ex player,and looking at the defensive staff it is hard to deny they are more qualified and better teachers than the staff Lovie assembled.Hell yeah, we are optimistic.
April 26th, 2016 at 8:49 pm
Smith didn’t run the defense in Atlanta for those who think he did. He ran the jacksonville defense that was pretty good and not because of jack del rio. Jacksonville defense declined after smith left for atlanta
April 26th, 2016 at 8:58 pm
@RO
there was a window that Marinelli was available and was convinced to stay in
Dallas.
April 26th, 2016 at 9:15 pm
Smith Defense’s in ATL were so-so. At times his Defense was straight out lousy. I cannot get EXCITED about a man who was fired from his former coaching job. If he’s bringing that former ATL falcon defense to our Bucs? Its gonna be more downs than ups. I’ll have to wait until he wins..consistently before the..EXCITEMENT starts. Win first.
April 26th, 2016 at 9:47 pm
Robert you remind me a lot of the Lovie bashers on here… Licht gets total credit for the draft but zero blame for the God awful free agent signings… Smith gets no blame for running the team in Atlanta that had soft defenses when he was in charge of the team, but in Jacksonville gets credit when he had good defenses (not great) on a team that already had good defenses before he got there.
I don’t have anything against Mike Smith, I hope for the best, by the hyperbole is ridiculous. He’s no Monte, or Rod, or even Lovie, he has never had a top tier defense, ever. I’m hoping he spent his time after him and Dirk both got fired in Atlanta and put it to use figuring out how to get better. Again I hope he does well, but the over the top praise of the guy is completely unjustified. I will LOVE if he makes me look stupid for saying that.
April 26th, 2016 at 10:39 pm
When Smith arrived in Jacksonville to start his first run as an NFL defensive coordinator, the Jaguars were coming off three straight seasons in which they won seven or fewer games. Over the next five years, the Jaguars would go a combined 45-35 and earn two playoff berths. Smith’s defenses would rank in the top 10 in points allowed for four straight years (2004-07), peaking at number four in 2006. Jacksonville never fell below 12th in yards allowed during Smith’s time in charge, also peaking at number two in 2006 but also finishing sixth in both 2003 and 2005.
During those five years combined (2003-07), Jacksonville’s defense ranked fourth in the NFL in points per game allowed (18.2), fourth in yards per game allowed (300.1), eighth in interceptions (90) and 15th in sacks (180). Smith coached three defensive players who earned a total of six Pro Bowl berths during his tenure with the Jaguars: defensive tackle Marcus Stroud (2003, 2004, 2005), defensive tackle John Henderson (2004, 2006) and cornerback Rashean Mathis (2006).