Will Greg Schiano Improve?
July 1st, 2013
A major question mark this season is Greg Schiano’s ability to take the necessary steps to become an NFL winner and a guy who can outcoach Saints hitman head coach Sean Payton and Falcons chief Mike Smith.
Smith’s stunning 56-24 regular-season record represents one of the standout coaching jobs in NFL history. Payton is a stud, as well, with a 62-34 regular-season mark and a Super Bowl ring with New Orleans.
If Schiano can’t outcoach those guys, then what are the Bucs’ chances of Super Bowl glory in the coming years? Slim.
An encouraging thing about Schiano is his obsession with details and not being outworked. Those are traits of a champion, but Schiano needs to prove he can win. Being a winner is the ultimate intangible in any sport, and it’s not like Schiano’s Big East record at Rutgers inspires loads of confidence in his ability to go deep in the NFL postseason dance.
This spring, Dave Wannstedt, the new Bucs special teams coach and part of Schiano’s large assembly of experienced coaches and advisors, said Schiano has been a relentless detail man since Wannstedt hired him to coach Bears defensive backs in 1996.
“[Schiano] was in charge of our third-down package on defense working with the secondary. And when it was time to talk third-down defense, it was the most detail. He did not have a “T” not crossed and an “I” not dotted,” Wannstedt said. “It was his first year coming from Penn State, obviously, first year in the NFL And it didn’t take him long before the players realized, ‘this guy knows what he’s doing. He’s not going to put you in a situation where you’re going to be surprised by anything.’ There was no question that, you know, that he was going to be successful.”
Joe’s optimistic Schiano can reach the level of his successful NFC South comrades, given his commitment to details and a tight ship. But Joe’s most uplifted by the New Schiano Order adapting in the 2012 season finale to shock a stout Falcons team and avoid closing last season with a six-game losing streak.
That was real hope, tangible hope that Schiano can be a champion.
July 1st, 2013 at 1:46 pm
If we want playoffs, he’s gonna have to improve. All the coaches are going to (with the possible exception of Bostad, Byner and possibly Cox)
July 1st, 2013 at 2:13 pm
In Schiano I trust!
July 1st, 2013 at 2:39 pm
yep i am trust coach greg schiano 1000000000000000000000 , he take the ships go to super bowl very soon ,,, GO BUCS
July 1st, 2013 at 2:44 pm
It appears that he is willing to delegate and also surround himself with experienced pros. It also looks like he commands respect and works hard setting that example.
I think Schiano has a good grasp on character and knows good ones when he sees them.
Bottom line….yes, he will improve because he admits he needs to.
July 1st, 2013 at 3:16 pm
Schiano has been dogged by game clock and game management miscues well before arriving here,
People who are obsessed with details and preparation often perform poorly in a dynamic environment in my experience. When faced with unforeseen circumstances, these personality types struggle. Why do you think they are so detail driven in the first place? It’s the fear of being unprepared.
The fallacy is that you can never prepare for every eventuality!
Ironic is such that Freeman struggles with this too. We’ve heard what a workaholic he has been, spending untold hours studying film at OBP, but we all saw what happened last year when the headset went out during the Atlanta game at Ray Jay.
He was clueless. Locked up.
July 1st, 2013 at 3:59 pm
Schiano and the defense will lead this team to the playoffs.
Who will be @ QB is a ? mark, but we will make the playoffs.
July 1st, 2013 at 4:57 pm
Take the QBs away from Smith and Payton and their success would have been closer to ours. Smith has always enjoyed success because he’s always had Ryan. In fact, Ryan was drafted the same year Smith became head coach. Payton became relevant because he had Brees. In fact he was hired the same year they traded for Brees. Coach Schiano was not afforded the same luxury in his first year. He inherited a QB.
So there is no true comparison that can be made between Schiano, Payton and Smith. Unless it’s apples to apples, it’s not fair. You take away either of those two QBs and both those coach’s are probably no longer there.
July 1st, 2013 at 5:29 pm
Free will be pro bowler with healthy O line
July 1st, 2013 at 5:48 pm
Losing five out of last six, with only a win in the totally meaningless falcons game is hardly reassuring.
Exact opposite of Dungy.
With Payton returning, and Smith’s brilliant record, our man is wayyyy below the curve. Heck we were wiped out by the Saints without Payton.
The endorsement of one of the worst coaches in modern history is laughable.
July 1st, 2013 at 5:54 pm
^^^^^^ dumb. he’s got opticalrectumitis
July 1st, 2013 at 6:21 pm
you don!T like the buccaneers . just bet against that … i am love my buccaneers ….
July 1st, 2013 at 6:56 pm
Eric that was just silly. Tony Dungy was 6-10 his first year with the Bucs in the NFC Central with the Packers(Brett Farve), Bears, Lions(Barry Sanders), and Vikings. 10-6 the following year with Trent Dilfer as the starting QB.
July 1st, 2013 at 7:18 pm
Eric is always silly. Can’t think of a post he’s made that made actual football sense but he’s fun to have around just to scold.
July 1st, 2013 at 7:28 pm
Biff…that makes absolutely zero sense. The reason detail driven people are usually VERY successful is because they prepare for ALL of the eventualities and therefore unexpected scenarios don’t take them by surprise because they aren’t ‘unexpected’. I forget what it was last year that Schiano had the team practicing for in the event it ever presented itself but I remember Ronde talking about it was something unusual and sure enough the exact scenario presented itself last year and the team was prepared for it. I’ll take a detail driven individual over someone who just want to ‘wing it’ anytime. Chances are they too can ‘wing it’ with the best of them because they’ve thought of so many different possibilities.
July 1st, 2013 at 10:10 pm
Dungy went 5-3 the second half of his first season. All started in San Diego…
in contrast to second half of Schiano last year.
Just the facts, which can interfere with the delusions sometimes.
July 1st, 2013 at 10:44 pm
@BucnJunkie & Bobby, nice posts. I agree with you guys.
Pat Riley said “Practice doesn’t make Perfect. Perfect Practice makes Perfect.” This is Greg Schiano in a nutshell. He was A rookie NFL Head Coach and I feel he did a darn good job as one. How can he not improve, but the players are the ones on the field, not the Coach. As stated above, take away Brees and Ryan and those teams are toast.
July 2nd, 2013 at 7:50 am
@Eric
So your telling me that Raheem Morris is a great coach he went 3-1 the last quarter of his rookie season, if you want to take it as a part not a whole. Dungy went on to go 5-3 the next season same as Reheem Morris. What is your take on that?? Those are facts also and not delusions.