Makings Of A Coach
February 7th, 2017
NFL legend remembers Dirk Koetter’s early days.
Joe doesn’t know what it is, but when it comes to Texas and football folks, they stick together.
It seems folks who coach football and/or work in football in the Lone Star State develop a special bond, a unique fraternity that they carry with them throughout their lives. Almost like a clique or a band of brothers type of thing.
Take Gil Brandt and winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter. The mastermind of the Cowboys dynasties of the 1960s and 1970s, Brandit and Koetter first crossed paths when Koetter was the offensive coordinator at UTEP, his first big college job.
Brandt made his bones finding talent, often in the most obscure places and in unorthodox ways. Like any good personnel man, Brandt had a vast network of contacts, especially in Texas. One of those contacts was Koetter.
Joe chatted with Brandt last week in Houston and he recounted how Koetter made such an impression upon him, he knew Koetter would some day make a fine football coach.
“I’ve known him since he was an assistant coach at Texas-El Paso,” Brandt said of Koetter. “You have to admire the guy because I will tell you what he did: He was the assistant head coach and [UTEP] wanted to name him the head coach and he said, ‘I’m not ready to be the head coach yet.’ Not many people do that.
“He used to fill out scouting reports for me at the grand price of $100 a year. Just on his team. The magnitude that he went. It’s like a guy answering a question, instead of yes or no, he wrote four lines [per player].”
It was that attention to detail that impressed Brandt.
“I think Dirk is really, really good,” Brandt added.
February 7th, 2017 at 2:11 pm
For the first time in a long time I feel like the franchise is in good hands. Excited to see how Koetter and Licht try to build up this offense this offseason.
February 7th, 2017 at 2:17 pm
Too bad he doesn’t coach the defense too!
February 7th, 2017 at 2:45 pm
come on joe….I like dirk just as much as the next guy….I think he did a great job as a rookie HC…but the “winning coach” title is going a little over board….we won 9games…no division crown, no conference crown, no super bowl crown….
retire the title until next year once we win the division, conference and super bowl….GO BUCS!!!!
February 7th, 2017 at 3:12 pm
Calling Dirk, the only coach we’ve had in the past 6 years to break .500, a “winning coach” is a stretch, but claiming the Bucs will win the Super Bowl next year isn’t?
Riiiiiiight.
February 7th, 2017 at 3:29 pm
@ohio….well, why don’t we just call him hall of fame coach koetter…that has a nice ring to it….#dumba$$….GO BUCS!!!
February 7th, 2017 at 3:47 pm
9-7 is a winning record. I’m fine with it. Its more justified than America’s Quarterback lol
February 7th, 2017 at 3:49 pm
We did win 9 games last year which is one game above mediocre….we can win 9 games next year and still be mediocre, my eye test tells me we are not a good football team, we still need above average talent in a few places like WR, DL, OL, and Safety and we gotta find a running game, I can’t cast a dark cloud over coach K but I knew it would take time! BUILD A WALL…..but not in Mexico dumb ass !!!
February 7th, 2017 at 3:57 pm
I think above average talent isn’t needed at wr . I think what jameis had to work with was below average , getting him couple average wrs would be a big upgrade . Even Cecil shorts started to look promising
February 7th, 2017 at 4:46 pm
Jpop I agree with you. Where did the Americas QB come from anyway? That’s ridiculous! Oxy that’s how I felt about Martino. The guy surprised me.
February 7th, 2017 at 4:47 pm
Koetter is a winning coach because he has a winning record.
Jeez, u guys are silly…
Joe does that to illustrate how much better Koetter is than Lovie was.
And to thumb a nose at the wackos who vehemently disagreed with the firing/hiring.
More victories for Koetter in 1 season than loser Lovie had in 2.
February 7th, 2017 at 5:18 pm
@DB55, I expect Koetter to become more involved with defense as he becomes more comfortable as a Head Coach and juggling all of the responsibilities. It’s seems to me that someone who is an expert on one side of the ball, should be good at the very least at identifying problem on the other side of the ball being thats what gameplay against every week. Kind of like RAH in Atlanta switching from a DB’s coach to a WR coach. I think Koetter will wait until Smitty is gone before he starts any of that though…
February 7th, 2017 at 5:40 pm
Kevin
I think Koetter will wait until Smitty is gone before he starts any of that though…
———————
Hence the problem ….AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR DAT.
February 7th, 2017 at 5:54 pm
I was hoping for Smitty to go to San Fran. Apparently, our defense loves him and so do most of the posters on here so I’m probably off. That said, I think Smitty’s defense is pretty vanilla. For all of the talk about confusing offense and a lot of movement, I saw too few blitzes and an easy to read defense. I am still waiting for the day that Hayes takes over this defense.
February 7th, 2017 at 6:18 pm
Cmurda,
I am not a fan of Smitty either. I think everyone expecting a dominant top 5 product is goi g to be very dissapointed. All of the defenses success came on turnovers. The completions percentage was still horrible and that five game stretch was not as good as they really are. I would bet my.house that if you.lined up those five games anddid a rematch it would be ugly. The last games against N.O and dallas are perfect examples. They DESTROYED our defense. This team.is still a couple drafts away and licht cannot afford to screw up on any of our higher picks.
I hope to see Jay Hayes as our future DC
February 7th, 2017 at 6:24 pm
“Winning Bucs coach” is just what that man is! No different from calling a man a champion before he actually becomes one (see the Michael to Martellus Bennett example). It’s belief. It’s speaking things into being. You kats..
February 7th, 2017 at 6:26 pm
Cmurda
I’m going to say you are not off at all. There’s a reason he got fired from Jax and ATL then 2y later they end up in the SB.
February 7th, 2017 at 6:53 pm
Now hold on DB55 they were in NFC title game with Mike Smith and lost just like they lost Sunday it’s the chip or nothing so they have still improved yet!
February 7th, 2017 at 7:09 pm
@JoeyPoppems I almost was about to call you out for that America’s Quarterback line. But then I realized you were just talking about the nick name LOL.
February 7th, 2017 at 8:10 pm
Koetter is a winning coach. That is a simple statement of fact. What the guys who are upset with that must not realize that NOBODY has called him a championship coach because that is not a fact.
It just seems sad to me when a team’s coach earns a modifier…”winning” is LITERALLY accurate but beotch because he’s not a chmpsionship coach. Nobody has said he was.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL is what stands out to me in Brandt’s analysis. In every career field I’ve been all the successful guys had attention to detail or at minimum a trusted aide who could make sure there was attention to detail.
In the NFL the difference between losing and winning often takes place in those details.
February 7th, 2017 at 9:40 pm
Coming from a Fan of 40 years, I could not possibly be happier with Koetter after watching the coaching turnaround here. Koetter is better than ANY coach we have had since Gruden and it’s not close. I like me some Rah but let’s get real about the schedule we faced that yr. Atlanta will have a new OC and QB coach next yr. WE will have continuity. WOW
February 7th, 2017 at 9:45 pm
What do we think of Steve Sarkisian going to the Falcons as their OC.
We can believe one thing…Saban must be a total jerk to work with…Lane Kiffin is probably an even bigger d-head than Saban don’t know about Sarkisian but it’s not like folks are lining up to stay with Saban. Head coach of where..is Lane?
Now Sarkisian OC for the Falcons…in Birmingham they would view that as a step down. LOL
He surely doesn’t scare me leading the Dixie Chick offense
February 7th, 2017 at 9:58 pm
Good evening SPBF. I was going to wait until tomorrow to bring up the Sark hire and the QB coach exit to the Rams but I texted Nos today about. That said, I might as well say what I said to him……The Division is Ours next yr with just a few key moves!!!
I am ready for a Deep playoff run next yr!!!……..Anyone with me?
February 7th, 2017 at 10:34 pm
You know Pete I’m thinking more and more about this Curtis Samuel kid. Aside from his obvious wheels I recall coach K expressing last season his admiration for OU players. Leads me to believe that young man is definitely on his radar. Would be a great response to the saints Cook and the birds Gabriel. I’ll be prijecting that the rest of summer DC in the first CS in second.
February 7th, 2017 at 10:38 pm
Another thing is something that stood out to me Sunday was the birds are all of a sudden fast as h3ll on Defense. I ask you continue preaching that “need for speed” to jbf. My hope is that cerman will make its way str8 to Jason Licht and Dirk Koetter.
February 7th, 2017 at 10:39 pm
I’m wit ya SB..
February 7th, 2017 at 10:46 pm
Between the two of them we could power a small city Pete… So much electricity.
February 7th, 2017 at 11:22 pm
SB…not only ready my friend, but expecting it.
Is that setting myself up for let down?
I don’t think so and ya know what if I’m let down. I won’t give one damn bit.
Ya wanna know why? Cause I’m a Bucs fan baby. THICK and thin.
I wear my emotions on my sleeve during football season, cause I’m a Bucs fan!
I feeeeeeling it though!
February 7th, 2017 at 11:25 pm
In other words I’m wit ya!
February 8th, 2017 at 1:32 am
No doubt 87. I expect my Bucs to make the playoffs every year. Typically, I get let-down, wash, rinse, repeat. And I ain’t stopping. GO BUCS!