NFL Coach Of The Year?
December 4th, 2016
Special times
We all saw what Father Dungy did with an historic band of losers 20 years ago — and Dirk Koetter is doing it faster.
That’s the cold hard reality.
Look what Koetter has done with a team that was an NFL trainwreck since December 2008. Sure, Joe loves the 10-6 season of 2010, but it was a radar blip en route to pure disgrace.
The Raheem Morris collapse followed by the Greg Schiano debacle and the Lovie Smith crapshow was what 57-year-old, first-time head coach Koetter inherited.
And now the Bucs are 7-5 in first place — in December — winners of six of their last eight.
It’s been a stunning head coaching job, complete with a crew of scrapheap receivers after Mike Evans and an inexperienced tight end from Harvard, plus an incompetent kicker.
Koetter had enough trust and a CEO mentality to get out of Mike Smith’s way on defense, and the growth there has been fast and furious. Rookies Vernon Hargreaves and Noah Spence are thriving, and Gerald McCoy might be having his best season. The safeties also seem to be playing beyond their abilities.
This is an A+ coaching job by Koetter to get this team to 7-5.
It all started in training camp with unorthodox methods, going very easy on players, doing everything to keep them from getting drained and treating the Tampa heat as evil.
Koetter also signed up for two sets of joint practices (Jaguars and Browns), very rare in NFL circles. And guess what Koetter found a way to have the team ready for an upset road win on opening day — a refreshing change.
The ship was rattled with losses early, and Koetter called it straight, essentially publicly saying his team was a losing-infected band of brothers who needed to find the magic tonic in their souls. It was very tough and rare September talk from a brand new head coach — and his team responded.
Now the Bucs are peaking at the right time. And it always starts and ends with the head coach, who has done one hell of a job of grooming his franchise QB without coaching the fire out of him.
Joe’s drinking an ice cold beer for Dirk Koetter tonight.
December 4th, 2016 at 8:29 pm
If the Bucs win out, then yes, 11-5 should at least get him as a finalist for COY.
December 4th, 2016 at 8:32 pm
And what was the first thing Head Coach Koetter did!!!! He went and hired the Best Defensive Coordinator he could find!!!!!! Great move!!!!!!!
And some around here wanted schwartz who has been getting creamed!!! smdh!!!!
December 4th, 2016 at 8:32 pm
Wow. Talk about premature. Let’s reach 8+ wins first.
December 4th, 2016 at 8:33 pm
Simple answer. YES
December 4th, 2016 at 8:33 pm
Joe after this win I hope it’s a quality beer.
December 4th, 2016 at 8:33 pm
Go BuCS!!!!!
December 4th, 2016 at 8:33 pm
I admit that I wanted Schwartz. Sometimes it’s good to be wrong.
December 4th, 2016 at 8:36 pm
Bighog still thinks we should have kept he who shall be named.
December 4th, 2016 at 8:37 pm
Can we just name Mike Smith Assistant Head Coach now… or Head Coach in waiting.
December 4th, 2016 at 8:40 pm
Well done Bucs and staff! Thank you what a good feeling! Go Bucs!
December 4th, 2016 at 8:41 pm
@Ndog
Can you imagine!!!!! it would have been no more than 4 wins and we would be discussing are arguing who the new head coach would be and who out top 10 draft pick could be while the team would be at the bottom of the division!!!!!!!!
My, My how times have changed!!!!!
Go America!!!!!!!!!!!
And Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 4th, 2016 at 8:43 pm
7-5 and road warriors to boot. What more can I say? GO MIGHTY BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 4th, 2016 at 8:49 pm
It’s been great not having the worst feeling in my stomach when the bucs are in a close game. I can now have the utmost confidence in the bucs without being tragically disappointed!!! Go bucs
December 4th, 2016 at 8:50 pm
I’ve stuck with my 8-8 prediction all season but at 7-5 with 4 games left I might have to readjust my expectations. Despite injuries and having a thin roster in several areas this team is showing a lot of fight.
December 4th, 2016 at 8:59 pm
This game had me angry watching. It was a cliffhanger. Real nice win for our Bucs. Very satisfying to be able to relax with another win.
December 4th, 2016 at 9:03 pm
lmao at duemig thinking we shoulda kept lovie. this guy gets PAID to talk football lmao the world is a silly place.
December 4th, 2016 at 9:05 pm
“It was, it is, and it will always be about the quarterback ”
Kobe Faker
December 4th, 2016 at 9:07 pm
This is real life, I need more beer. I am happy about a bucs team in December, what the hell is going on.
December 4th, 2016 at 9:10 pm
@JOE
An excellent piece and not premature IMO. You absolutely nailed the genius of Koetter. For whatever we can say about he and Licht creating an OL out of nothing last year, doing running back by committee with the star still just rounding into shape, you’ve documented the challenges to our receiving corps all of which was combined with a new DC implementing a new system and counting on at least three new starters expected to contribute…we ended up with double that number.
But for all the excellence involved at so many levels to get this franchise back on track….You nailed the most important fact of all in just one sentence.
The key to Koetter’s genius and our great fortune as Buc fans is this Joe…
grooming his franchise QB without coaching the fire out of him.
It’s easy to watch #3 finally playing consistently at pro bowl level over the past four wins…and certainly props to #3 a true franchise QB. But Koetter has handled this treasure perfectly. #3 is literally the most important investment the Glazers have in Tampa right now.
The Glazers put all their chips on Koetter to protect their single most important investment and get the most from him. Koetter has done this as well as possibly could be done by any coach in the nation.
grooming his franchise QB without coaching the fire out of him.
especially when the franchise QB is a gunslinger with a riverboat gambler’s mentality. He was the guy who could win a game or lose a game for you. He is the straw that stirs the drink for good or bad. Now he’s cut down on the bad plays and his good plays stand out. He was making good plays even during dark losses like AZ…remember torching Patrick Petersen in the end zone with ME? We forget that because of Petersen’s int.
Koetter has done a masterful job with a once in a lifetime talent for a head coach. I think Koetter realized this rare opportunity the moment #3 showed up last year. By the time the season rolled around Koetter knew where to hitch his star.
I think #3 reciprocates because he respects Koetter’s integrity, work ethic, experience and smarts. We have the makings of the next Belichek/Brady like HC/QB combo. It’s going to be a fun ride!!!
December 4th, 2016 at 9:41 pm
me started on Mr Overrated who gets a pass because he’s a christ…err “nice guy”…
December 4th, 2016 at 9:58 pm
Yup…..Can hardly see Lovie in the rear view mirror now…….GO BUCS!!!!!!!
December 4th, 2016 at 10:22 pm
Way to go coach. Way to go. 🙂
December 4th, 2016 at 11:15 pm
If not coy then first year coy for sure.
December 4th, 2016 at 11:17 pm
The Bucs don’t get enough respect from the yankee media to give him the reward. If Jameis and Evans were on the Jet’s they would be front page E*** every day.
December 5th, 2016 at 8:49 am
No chance unless he coaches the bucs into a playoff bye week
December 5th, 2016 at 2:03 pm
He would have to win a playoff game to get it, or maybe even get to the Superbowl. The NFL did not even write a story on the Buc’s win on Sunday, only on our kicker