Breaking News: Head Coach Jon Gruden and General Manager Bruce Allen Fired!!!
by The Bull Gator on Jan 16, 2009 6:01 PM EST
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired Head Coach Jon Gruden and General Manager Bruce Allen.
After 7 seasons with the team, Gruden is on his way out. Gruden won a Super Bowl in his first year with the team, but up and down seasons since then appear to have sealed his fate. The Bucs were off to a hot start in 2008, but faltered down the stretch and didn't make the playoffs.
The search for a new coach begins immediately.
Added to by JScott:
To say the least I'm pretty shocked. At the onset I agree with Bruce Allen going, Gruden? Not so much. We went to the Post-Season three times (in seven years) under Gruden and he actually had a winning record here, BUT he was stubborn in his play calling and in his dealings with players. At this point, I'm sorry to see him go, but I'm happy to see the Owners Buc' Up if you will and prove they aren't satisfied with mediocrity. Bruce Allen wasnt able to bring in the necessary talent to make this franchise a consistent power house and Gruden to some extent has to be held accountable for that as well...
It appears that the Glazers thought long and hard about this decision and I can't wait to see the plan they will be putting in place. Many fans were beckoning for a new start and here it is... Your thoughts?
...UPDATE...
ESPN's John Clayton said Gruden was blindsided by the news. That GM Bruce Allen was in contract negotiations trying to bring back LB Coach Joe Barry for Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris today when he was informed of the decision. You gotta wonder if there was some sort of blow up that occurred..
Glazers on the change at Head Coach and General Manager:
"We will be forever grateful for Jon bringing us the Super Bowl title and we thank Bruce for his contributions to our franchise," said Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer in a statement releaed by the team. "However, after careful consideration, we feel this decision is in the best interest of our organization moving forward." - Bucs Beat
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Yup...
…both gone. At first I thought it was a rumor, but now they’re talking about it on ESPN.
by The Bull Gator on Jan 16, 2009 6:07 PM EST up reply actions
I just saw it under
neath ESPN ticker… That is insane.
Now I am rooting for Shanahan
i cant believe it
craziness!!!! I hope the Glazers have a plan in place
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YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This change may hurt in the short-term, but long-term this is the best move the Glazers could have made.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
i'm shocked Gruden was let go
but Allen i can understand
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If you are serious about change
then you clean house like they did. I wonder if Morris gets the nod?
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
no doubt
if you’re going to do it, might as well do it all the way….
i’m shocked, anyone else?
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I wouldn't have been shocked a few weeks ago...
…I’m shocked it came now. I figured it he was still around 2 weeks ago that he was here another year.
by The Bull Gator on Jan 16, 2009 6:14 PM EST up reply actions
I thought they would
have done it by now. I was looking to next season as the year. Better now than never though!
Hopefully whoever comes in keeps the defensive staff in place!
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
thats amazing
i thought too that if it were to happen it would have happened a couple weeks ago
i do like that the Glazers obviously put some thought into it, also they’re not content with mediocrity!!
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this comes absolutely out of no where
John Clayton is saying the Owners did not agree with Gruden’s/Allen’s direction for the time, i.e. off-season moves/draft ideas
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ha
I wonder if he was thinking about tanking next season
haha,
probably not. I think they were probably looking at a veteran team still and not looking at a youth movement. Its going to be 2 years, but we will be good again because of this.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
Could the Glazers be in on
Bill Cowher?
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i mean they did
get rid of the G.M. as well
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No.
I really think you will see Morris get the nod. I doubt they are looking outside of the org. Interesting question is who become our GM. Exciting times, now!
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
definitely exciting
i cant see Morris getting the promotion, he hasnt done anything to warrant the promotion
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I just think the pool is too watered down.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
who wouldnt right
Bradford, McCoy, Tebow, ha!
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No way does Raheem Morris
get the gig… right? no way in the world?
It’s slowly sinking in, but i am happy to see that players as of right now will not have to deal with a guy who struggles communication wise
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the players responses to this
will be telling, if they do in fact say anything and i dont see a reason why those who didnt gel wouldnt (Clayton, Galloway)…
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My guess is players will be indifferent.
Except maybe guys who have really been given a chance by Allen.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
I wouldn't say 'no way'
The pool of candidates has been so greatly watered down. Unless you can land a Cowher or Shanahan (which I personally think is doubtful) why not give him a shot. The coaches who have been coordinators or HC’s in the leauge are just not there right now. I know there isn’t a high success rate with going from position coach to HC, however, it could be a wise decision.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
definitely
shouldnt be overlooked
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Your next coach will be Mike Shanahan
The fact that you cut the GM loose as well tells me they are looking for a guy who can do both.
It’s going to be Shanny.
I absolutely LOVE John Gruden as a coach, so I was shocked at this… but I think Shanny is a good fit for you guys.
www.HoustonDiehards.com
by HoustonDiehards on Jan 16, 2009 6:24 PM EST reply actions
the info is swirling now
but it will be interesting to see how many clubs line up for Jon Gruden, because despite his obvious communication problems, he is a good coach… his record says as much. The next team that brings him in should leave Bruce Allen in the cold…
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He won't have a problem
finding another job. Allen is Gruden’s puppet and Gruden likes to have control of the franchise. He will want Allen in there.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
i wouldnt bring that tandem in
for anything… Gruden yes, but Allen heck no… i never liked that guy… Even though he did get the Bucs out of salary cap trouble.
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Under the salary cap was our trouble
If he’d have spent the money had lying around, maybe we’d still be playing football right now instead of looking for a new coach and GM.
thats why i cant fault this decision
excuse the cliche, but he’s going down with the ship. Bruce Allen being that ship. He wanted him here and stood by him while Bruce brought in washed up veteran after washed up veteran..
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I am not surprised at all.....
Don’t see how you guys are.
Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans
i guess i figured it would happen
immediately after the season, and to be honest two years ago when the team went 4-12… we knew there was no good coming out of that free fall. Especially when Gruellen brought in Jeff Garcia to only then trade for Jake Plummer the very next day, ha!
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Yes.
The only thing shocking to me is how long they took. I was surprised that he wasn’t in the first group that got fired. I hope they get a good replacement I like it when the Bucs do well. (Not a Bucs fan per say but follow them a lot)
Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans
It's time for the Pete Carroll experience!
Brad Ziegler had a scoreless inning streak. Brad Ziegler had not met BJ Upton.
P Brady
deserves a ban. ….. kidding. However, that would be the worst move ever.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
If anyone says the word Spurrier...
I will come all the way from Texas and hunt you down…not kidding…
Just do it.
Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans
He should stay at USC
It is a great gig for him.
Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans
Glazers are actually doing something though
It seems like since Gruden got here, the Glazers have sat on their hands and just let Gruden have it all his way. I’m glad to see the pockets take on interest in the team on this side of pond.
They are doing the right thing
which is not the easy thing. Thanks for actually caring about (american) football Glazers and about the franchise.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
thats another reason why i'm shocked
they’ve been so quiet about the entire situation with the team, i figured more of the same was on the way
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I am freaking shocked! Stunned! I don't know what to say....
I apparantly am in the minority. I am a Gruden fan. I can’t believe it. Good luck to ya Chucky and thanks for the memories. Say what you want people but the guy did bring us a Super Bowl and for that I am forever grateful
by TheUltimateBucFan on Jan 16, 2009 6:41 PM EST reply actions
His role in 'bringing'
us a super bowl is minimal. The team/talent were in place for a while. The motivation wasn’t.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
that motivation was monumental though
and should not be overlooked. Bar none, Dungy couldnt get it done and Jon did
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Gruden got them over the hump.
For that he is really useful. But he hasn’t put the talent in place since, and has brought in too many veterans who don’t produce consistently.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
totally agree
i just hate when people insinuate that Gruden won with Dungy’s players, he did, but he did something Dungy couldnt and wouldnt do
Buc 'Em Your SBNation Tampa Bay Bucs Blog where Dull Boys are not allowed!!
Because you know Dungy never won a superbowl or anything
Shonn Greene for Heisman
Doak Walker award winner
144 yards per game
6.2 yards per carry
08 TDs per game > 06 GPA
by shake n bake on Jan 16, 2009 7:17 PM EST up reply actions
ndrew Friedman can GM both
Brad Ziegler had a scoreless inning streak. Brad Ziegler had not met BJ Upton.
YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM AND I WILL STAB YOU IF YOU TRY.
by R.J. Anderson on Jan 16, 2009 7:03 PM EST up reply actions
what if we do a sign and trade
with Ken Griffey Jr. for Friedman?
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My first choice for new head coach is.........
1. Mike Shanahan
2. Raheem Morris
3. Herm Edwards
4. Urban Meyer anyone?
by TheUltimateBucFan on Jan 16, 2009 6:42 PM EST reply actions
That's assuming Bill Cower and Tony Dungy are out of the equation
by TheUltimateBucFan on Jan 16, 2009 6:44 PM EST up reply actions
I love Dungy.
And I don’t think he and the Glazers have bad blood.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
I like Herm a lot
but I think it’s too much of the same, and he just doesn’t succeed.
COLLEGE COACHES NEED NOT APPLY.
I don’t like Shan because its more mediocrity.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
i might slit
my throat if Herm Edwards came here…. what has he done?
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I like him as a personality
but not as a head coach. He needs to humble himself and go back to coordinating.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
i dont like him
period… We all know the Bucs won’t go in that direction
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wtf... april fools?
That was my first thought when I saw that they both had been fired, not that I’m overly surprised… Lets just hope their replacements can freakin evaluate and groom rookie talent!
Talib and Ruud
are both good talents who are or have been groomed. I don’t think ‘grooming’ was his problem. Talent eval….maybe.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
thats two players in 7 years though
we need a bit more consistency in that department. if we did, Gruellen would be preparing for ’09
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Well I think
when he finds talent, its groomed, he just doesn’t find it often.
Also, Keyshawn just rec’d Raheem Morris. Thats my top choice right now (outside of Dungy)!
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
did you see Shaun King's thoughts?
not exactly the source of reason, but i agree with him for the most part
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Fun Fact about Raheem Morris
He’s already interviewed with 2 or 3 teams and they didn’t want him.
I don’t know why people think he’ll make a good coach when he doesn’t even have experience as a DC.
Sporano is the exception to the rule.
Then who else
assuming Shan, Bill and Dungy are out of the quesiton? What good coordinators, former h.c are better options?
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
And honestly
I would rather Morris more than Shanahan.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
the Giants Defensive Coordinator, Spags
we could do alot worse then…. I like the Harbaugh coach at Stanford, but thats college…
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I said assuming he is not available.
Spang…..ehhhh, I would just as much rather give Morris a shot. He already has a repore with the players.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
We have no idea if those interviews were sincere or simply to bypass the Rooney Rule.
by R.J. Anderson on Jan 16, 2009 6:56 PM EST up reply actions
We're talking about the Rams and Broncos, correct?
One hired the most sexy pick, the other isn’t exactly a reflection of competence.
by R.J. Anderson on Jan 16, 2009 6:58 PM EST up reply actions
How can you tell?
Everyone thought Mangini, Weis, and Crennell would be good head coaches too.
by R.J. Anderson on Jan 16, 2009 7:02 PM EST up reply actions
I still think
Mangini could be good. Weis, and Crennell……no
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
I dont think the Browns are that far off
Although I have a great friend who is a huge Browns fan and disagrees with me.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
Not sure
but his popularity among his players should hopefully demand a little more effort than we saw this year. Then again, so was Randy Shannon and that has crapped out on me. Sigh…. we’ll just have to see.
Cannons... fire them.
www.BucEm.com - SBNation's home for discussion of all things regarding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
LOL
loved that fun fact… he has experience on the college level, but yeah you’re right. no experience where it matters. In the event that its a new coach and we completely lose Morris altogether does that sway your thinking?
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You gotta assume
the Glazers have SOMETHING in mind, this late in the game.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
i assumed the Jets did too
when they cut Mangina, but they are still looking. Though the Glazers are a bit more in tune that Woody of the Jets
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I don't want to see Morris go
I want him to be the DC next year. I don’t want to see him promoted prematurely, Bucs have a horrible season, and the Glazers fire him.
You still haven't given a 'better'
option. Spang has just as much promise as Morris. Morris knows and has the respect of players, has been coached by one of the greatest DC’s of all time is young.
ALl of this assuming Shan, Bill and Tony aren’t available. There isn’t BETTER options out there.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
Morris
is a better option than Spagnuolo……
Rex I like, but JScott is right, defense is very different. We have the right defensive talent in place for Morris. Pendergrast has brought in some great talent, but they have been inconsistent at best. Great talent evaluator though I wouldn’t bank playoff success of his defense on his hiring.
I don’t know much about Schottenhimmer.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
Heck no
to Brian Shotty, he’s just that shotty… I like the idea of Rex Ryan, but the entire system would be flipped upside down, no?
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We're gonna have to go away from Gruden's offense anyway
No one does his complicated O.
Gotta head out to go eat, but my last comment is Morris would be an excellent DC in my mind, just not HC.
It is the NFL.
That is way too advanced.
Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans
I would like Dungy as a GM
and Morris as the HC. I want a GM who has his own mind, but works well with the HC.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
Has nobody else
remembered that it was the Glazers who traded everything away to get Gruden. I don’t necessarily seeing them as good decision makers.
I’m extremely worried about our future as I don’t see smart moves being made here..
everybody including my grandmother
was on board with that move. Gruden was the hot young coach, who molded a horrendous Raiders team into a Superbowl contender. We figured he could work wonders with our franchise, who knew he was in love with the Rich Gannon’s and Tim Browns of the world
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yeah that kind of sucked
i have no clue as to what direction they may go in
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Clayton
just ruled out Cowher. Kept the possibility of Shanahan open and also rec’d Morris.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
what was his reasoning
for ruling out Cowher?
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No quarterback
Clayton has the best insider sources of anyone IMO. I trust him….not that he is always right.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
A weight comes off my shoulders
I’ve been waiting and waiting for the Glazers to do something, to show something, to actually get involved. Allen was a menace simply because he enabled Gruden to continue in exactly the same fashion — demanding ready-made players who just need to be told what to do. The lack of development is what sealed Gruden’s fate. The futility that had become the draft, the revolving-door Quarterback policy, etc.
It was a hindrance. What made the Bucs a success was developing a core of defensive players. I figure that the owners expected somethign of the same on offense but instead — we got excuses. Setbacks. The day to day and the concept, from Gruden and Allen, we were always thisclose to winning the whole thing.
The truth is we were thisclose to going one way (winning) or the other. Not dominating on either side of the ball consistently since 2002.
THAT is why change was needed. THAT is why I am glad to see them go – even if the future is uncertain.
TampaBLAB - One stop source for the blogs of Tampa Bay.
6 years without a title gets you fired in Tampa
that’s the only way the Dungy firing made sense, so now it’s applied here.
Shonn Greene for Heisman
Doak Walker award winner
144 yards per game
6.2 yards per carry
08 TDs per game > 06 GPA
There's also Mike Holmgren
who wants full autonomy as well… just throwing names into the pot
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I'm guessing Shanny.
With Shanny Jr. as OC.
by R.J. Anderson on Jan 16, 2009 7:20 PM EST up reply actions
hes going to take a year off I think.
But i LOVE Holmgrem. I think he gets his teams to overachieve.
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
Alright, I am out
They craziness is kind of dying down. Have a good night folks! Go Bucs!
"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"
later on man
you wanted discussion earlier today, you should have spoke up two years ago, ha!
Buc 'Em Your SBNation Tampa Bay Bucs Blog where Dull Boys are not allowed!!
.
According to NFL Network’s Adam Schefter, current defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is the favorite to be the next Buccaneers coach.
Director of Pro Personnel Mark Dominik would replace GM Bruce Allen under that rebuilding scenario. The young duo would reportedly come relatively cheaply, which would offset the three years remaining on the contracts of both Allen and Jon Gruden.
I still don't get the Raheem Morris love.
What exactly has he done? I liked giving him a shot as DC, but come on, he still needs to prove himself a little bit. Cowher would be nice if they could get him, I don’t think he’d ever be able to take over a job with an established QB. Those are few and far between, Denver is probably as close as it gets this year.
by Albertrayon on Jan 16, 2009 7:24 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
eh
i don’t care for Dominik, he’s been here since 2000 and has in one way or another at least remotely aided who the Bucs selected in FA and the Draft… who knows if he was on the good side (Faine, Ruud, Tanard or the bad side Dexter, Petitgout, Clayton etc)
i’d like new blood, but what can you do
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Makes logical sense
there’s no “name” guy out there, that wants the job
I’d have loved McDaniels
Morris is the guy
Team needs an overhaul, that’s been long overdue
Give this guy a four year deal, and let’s go
First off develop a QB
I'd like them to push Raheem up and Dominik up
and maybe get Bates from Denver if they can to do the offense…he was an offensive quality control coach back when Rah was the defensive one.
But then, who would we have as D-coordinator?
Blake
USF--Class of '09
i think Raheem
would be the D-Coordinator much like Gruden was the Offensive Coordinator….
I hope the Bucs steer clear of Dominik and bring in fresh blood. He’s been here since 2000 and he’s been the Director of Player Personnel since ’04 and this team has been fairly inconsistent since…
With that said, i have no clue as to who would come in to be this team’s GM
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Funny media reaction on Dominik
Couple of weeks ago, Tom Korun wrote a little piece on the ABC28 sports Blog saying Dom should be thrown a ton of money to be kept on. Same with Morris. The idea that there have to be, you know, tangible results? That didn’t matter. Just keep Dominik, maintain the status quo to show you want to win. Never mind if Dominik had any aspirations to move forward in the front office. Throw money at the guy to keep him, maintain the status quo. Everything works out!
Funny views like that get you a paying gig on TV
TampaBLAB - One stop source for the blogs of Tampa Bay.
by John Fontana on Jan 16, 2009 10:17 PM EST up reply actions
Sweet! Now I can be a Bucs fan again
Provided the replacement starts cutting the convicts, I can start wearing the shirts in public again.
by ReasonableDoubt on Jan 16, 2009 10:57 PM EST reply actions
Thank you Jon for everything you've done for this franchise
you’ll always be the best coach the Bucs will ever have
Poor JG
I hate to see Gruden go, but surprisingly this helped the Bucs odds to win the superbowl (according to Vegas). They are now 45-1 on http://www.centsports.com/?opcode=285692 if you guys wanna make a free bet on them
by Hansborough on Jan 18, 2009 2:39 PM EST reply actions
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