Dirk Koetter’s Influence
March 18th, 2017
Power move.
With the signing of the most accurate kicker in New York Jets history, veteran Nick Folk last night, Joe senses the hand of winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter behind this move.
When he was the team’s offensive coordinator in 2015, Koetter had perhaps the most prophetic if not most accurate comment about the NFL, and football in general, when he famously and righteously said, “The only thing people give a sh!t about are wins.”
And that is why Bucs kicker Roberto Aguayo has been put on notice.
Yes, it was Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager who signed Folk, but Joe gets the strong scent it was Koetter pushing if not demanding Licht bring in the best kicker available.
Look, no one knows better than Koetter that Team Glazer has demonstrated an itchy trigger finger when it comes to coaches in the post-Chucky era.
Raheem Morris lasted three years, ousted one season after winning 10 games (which, to this day, seems a miracle). Former Bucs commander Greg Schiano lasted two years despite his leaky, sleepy quarterback Josh Freeman melting down and the Bucs having to turn to rookie Mike Glennon in Schiano’s second year. Lazy Lovie Smith got two years and was fortunate he had that many. Koetter was on Lovie’s staff the second year.
Yes, the Bucs won nine games last year but Koetter knows if the Bucs don’t get to the playoffs, he too might be sweating for his job based on recent history. How could a guy who needs wins count on a kicker who only made 4 of 11 kicks over 40 yards last year? High school kickers are just as accurate. Not having a kicker who is at least average can doom a team in close games — and indirectly doom a coach.
And while Koetter has always publicly supported Aguayo and at times defended him, it stands to reason that in the meeting rooms and offices and hallways of One Buc Palace, Koetter made his point clear to Licht that a veteran kicker had to come in — to at least push Aguayo to be his best self.
Given how much Koetter values wins, the instability of the Bucs’ head coaching job in recent history and Aguayo’s struggles, being such a direct, no-nonsense, speak-your-mind kind of a guy that Koetter is, Joe was confident Koetter would not be content entering 2017 training camp with Aguayo entrenched as his kicker without competition.
March 18th, 2017 at 6:12 am
it sounds cheesy, but Koetter knows NFL stands for Not For Long…Aguayo may be learning that also…just sayin
March 18th, 2017 at 6:17 am
Dirk Koetter has put together an outstanding coaching staff that understands what it takes to win in the NFL … last season’s 9-7 record, despite numerous injuries, shows that. Jason Licht has put together an outstanding management team that’s committed to providing the personnel necessary to make that happen. Judging from this year’s FA results, the two groups obviously understand where the holes are and are committed to fixing them. Koetter & Licht work very well together. Things are coming together very nicely Bucs fans: The drought is ending.
March 18th, 2017 at 7:14 am
Ya’ll all gonna learn not to f*ck with The Back/Stabber! Damn a kicker Build a Wall and sign Colin.
March 18th, 2017 at 7:29 am
The drought is indeed ending!
We got ourselves a kicker who will support a playoff team. Aguayo must beat him out of a job. i love the commitment to win.
Go Bucs!!!
March 18th, 2017 at 7:44 am
I do not think Koetter ever had confidence in Aguayo!
March 18th, 2017 at 7:46 am
What the Glazers Boys don’t get is that you can hire 700 coAches a decade. But if u don’t spend and build properly on scouting and have great drafts u will never win.
It’s always been a lack of talent thing with bucs.
Come on they hired mark Dominick and bruce allen then they expect to win or have good draft grades????
Come on boys wake up.
If chucky would have had a great scouting dept and strong gm???
We would have been 10-6 every year for last 10 years
March 18th, 2017 at 7:48 am
Speaking for Pablo
“Pablo would normally cry “racist”….but Pablo is very embarrassed by El Ass’s kicking…..Pablo says “If the bum can’t beat out Folk….get rid of him”
March 18th, 2017 at 8:17 am
Destinjohnny Says
“Come on they hired mark Dominick and bruce allen then they expect to win or have good draft grades????”
Dominick was a rookie GM, just like Licht. You cannot know how those will work out.
Bruce Allen was hired because Jon Gruden insisted. That writing was on the wall a year before he was hired. McKay had rebelled against the owners. They wanted Gruden, he wanted a defensive HC, and he did his best to lose the Gruden deal.
March 18th, 2017 at 8:18 am
Years before, I mean.
March 18th, 2017 at 8:23 am
Bucs fans you can trust Licht is putting the team first.
The first kicker signed in the off-season was competition. Folk is the replacement.
Maybe Licht has an eye on Aguayo. Is Aguayo not doing all he can do in the off-season to correct his performance? Thus, a replacement that was available for weeks now is brought in to be the starter. I go there because it looks like Aguayo has to beat Folk to regain his status of the Bucs kicker. Folk is not a mentor rather “the starter.” It would be naive to think the message of competition will disguise the fact that they are not starting this off-season as equals. Folk is our starter until proven otherwise.
Brilliant move!!! Licht is all in on the team and the fans. No ego there!!!!
March 18th, 2017 at 8:29 am
@Pablo
Maybe Pablo needs to teach RA to put an elongated arch into his kick?
March 18th, 2017 at 8:40 am
we all know this would happen. I don’t know if Aguyao is really “that” bad or there was too much pressure due to his draft status but we can’t continue praying every time this guy is kicking a 25 yards FG.
We were wondering if he was able to convert extra point and so on !
Unfortunately for him, in addition, our punter was marvellous last year!
So he was really the weak pont of the team, he could have been the hero on some situation but no.
We saw progress at the end of the season but it’s not enough to believe this season will be different.
March 18th, 2017 at 8:44 am
So Bonzi what’s the bucs record the last 12 years?
You think they have done it Right or done a good job?
Maybe they have and I just don’t see it.
I am open to what u have to say to prove me wrong on what I said.
What did I say that wasn’t accurate?
March 18th, 2017 at 12:41 pm
I think Aguyo goes on to put all the haters and doubters behind him and becomes the best kicker in Bucs history. This move is what he needs to push him to be his best.
March 18th, 2017 at 1:42 pm
Let’s breathe some reality into this. Both Jason and Dirk are experienced in what they do, they are both millionaires who didn’t get rich by not doing some self-critique and self-correction, they’ve both been fired from jobs past…as part of the business. And they both know the business very very well. While all have their opinions, it is entirely conceivable that Jason thought this Folk stuff all up himself and Dirk agreed in full. They both know they have to win. Duh. We ALL know that. They both know football better than anyone on the board, probably you too, Joe, and can probably pontificate themselves to the right answer independently just fine, and for reasons we’d not know ourselves. So…no, I don’t think this is all Koetter, and anyone (not saying that’s Joe) who would think Jason couldn’t come to the conclusion that Aguayo might need to be bye-bye-o on his own, probably should re-think the executive minds here. Yeah, Jason is a proud guy…GMs have to be…but they aren’t ignorant by any stretch.
March 18th, 2017 at 1:46 pm
Buccanegro…no doubt I’m sure that is the hope…but there is pretty good backup plan in place now. I think by end of pre-season game 3 we’ll know all about Aguayo can do, but I still doubt they do anything with him until well after the start of the season. Probably is, if he’s not starter, he’s no good to anyone at all.
March 18th, 2017 at 1:56 pm
This is just as much a Licht move. I doubt there was any disagreement between HC and front office on this one.
March 18th, 2017 at 6:04 pm
“Given how much Koetter values wins”, Joes, if that statement hasn’t applied to every coach and player that’s ever been apart of this organization, then there are some serious problems. Can you say culture change?
March 19th, 2017 at 12:20 am
Lovie didn’t value wins.
March 19th, 2017 at 9:59 am
What 365 said. This was a obvious situation that needed to be handled. If koetter did go licht first, I doubt he needed his arm twisted. It was probably something like:
“Ok, what roster improvements do we need?”
“We need this, and this, and a new this blah blah blah, oh and a new kicker to compete with Aguayo”
“I agree, lets go get em.”