Mike Zimmer to interview with Tampa Bay Buccaneers today per report

by Sander on Jan 16, 2012 9:23 AM EST in News

Despite reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were meeting yesterday to determine who to bring back for a second interview it seems that their coaching search is still continuing. The Bucs will bring in Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer for an interview today according to Jason LaCanfora. It's not known when the Bucs will interview Rob Chudzinski, although that should be soon as well.

The clock is ticking for the Bucs to appoint a head coach. Without a head coach in place it's difficult for the Bucs to go after defensive and offensive coordinators as those continue to sign with other teams. Specifically, the Bucs will want to have a head coach in place by the Senior Bowl which will take place on January 28. The Senior Bowl isn't just a place for teams to scout potential drafted players, but it also functions as an annual job market of sorts for assistant coaches. If the Bucs don't have a head coach in place by then, they can't take advantage of the Senior Bowl to assemble a coaching staff. In addition, the longer the Bucs wait, the bigger the chance that the coach they want signs elsewhere or decides to pull out of the interview process.

Despite that, NBC's and Sports Illustrated's Peter King reports that the Bucs will continue to take their time to find the right coach for the job. The Bucs must make sure to find the right head coach, of course, but they must also make sure that they don't take too long to find that coach. They have to find a balance between finding a quality coach and doing so in a timely manner. We'll find out over the next weeks whether they can do that.

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Last time they acted rashly and installed Raheem

it obviously didn’t work out. So I don’t have a problem with them taking their time. Zimmer is an interesting candidate. So is Perry Fewel.

by J_B on Jan 16, 2012 9:30 AM EST reply actions

Would be nice to have a decision before...

then Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine game. Need to scout some players.

by Cracker Ball on Jan 16, 2012 11:44 AM EST up reply actions

i agree, plus to get coordinators before all the good ones are gone

by mlowebucs on Jan 16, 2012 2:17 PM EST up reply actions

I was thinking about those games yesterday, when are they?

by 37champs on Jan 16, 2012 6:14 PM EST up reply actions

if the bucs tap zimmer

there will be a ton of sad bengals fans. zimmer is quality, he’ll do the bucs franchise right over the long haul.

"the bengals are not a west of the 104 longitude team."

by palewook on Jan 16, 2012 12:21 PM EST up reply actions

Until this year...

there were nothing but sad Bengal fans.

by Cracker Ball on Jan 16, 2012 4:08 PM EST up reply actions

if you say so

in 35+ years of following the team i’ve had another experience.

"the bengals are not a west of the 104 longitude team."

by palewook on Jan 16, 2012 4:28 PM EST up reply actions

I liked Boomer Esiason and all...

but Sam Wyche coached you a long time ago.

by Cracker Ball on Jan 16, 2012 4:43 PM EST up reply actions

and John McKay has probably my favorite reporter retort in the history of the game

not sure what you are getting at

"the bengals are not a west of the 104 longitude team."

by palewook on Jan 16, 2012 4:51 PM EST up reply actions

Ive been to 3 Bengals/Bucs games in Cinci.

awsome city, stadium,people. Will go back everytime they play the Bucs

by 37champs on Jan 16, 2012 6:17 PM EST up reply actions

i used to live in florida in the 90s

and went to a ton of bucs games, awesome fans.

"the bengals are not a west of the 104 longitude team."

by palewook on Jan 16, 2012 6:25 PM EST up reply actions

TOO BAD ...

there are no more Harbaugh brothers because they seem to be good coaches! Can we clone one? PLEASE!

by fourthntwenty on Jan 16, 2012 9:39 AM EST reply actions

This is an argument for stem cell research

by Cracker Ball on Jan 16, 2012 4:44 PM EST up reply actions

I can't believe we haven't even interviewed one person from the college ranks.

Hopefully they look there in the coordinator department at least. A lot of very talented and innovative individuals being left out of this search so far.

"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example." ~ Mark Twain

by LeeCaz on Jan 16, 2012 11:57 AM EST reply actions

Many of the top ones...

are in excellent positions and may not desire to jump into the NFL. Much like basketball, the best jobs may not be in the professional ranks. You could continue to coach at Kentucky, North Carolina or Kansas for a very long time. Big fish in a small pond.

Stability does not really cooincide with NFL HC positions.

by Cracker Ball on Jan 16, 2012 12:04 PM EST up reply actions

At the top colleges you're basically guaranteed a good record, year-in, year-out

And you get paid like an NFL head coach, too.

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by Sander on Jan 16, 2012 12:07 PM EST up reply actions

Yup.

But if you want to be the best of the best, you have to go to the NFL. The desire is there for a lot of guys. Why would a guy like Jim Harbaugh leave a great situation at Stanford, unless he wanted to be the best? Surely they were capable of paying him, and he pretty much built that program from scratch.

Les Miles, Saban, Meyer etc have no reason to jump to the NFL, but there are a lot of guys that could make an impact that no doubt want to move up and haven’t been interviewed.

"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example." ~ Mark Twain

by LeeCaz on Jan 16, 2012 12:11 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, I'd agree

And I’d like to some college head coaching interviews. Then again, the last guy to make that jump before Harbaugh was Jeff Jagodzinski and he got fired when he even went in for an interview. So I can see why coaches would be hesitant to do so.

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by Sander on Jan 16, 2012 12:34 PM EST up reply actions

Who are the college coaches you think would make a impact in the NFL?

by 37champs on Jan 16, 2012 6:22 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, that's right

Hue Jackson, former Raiders head coach was the lowest-paid head coach in the NFL at $1.5 million, that would have been the second-lowest even in the Pac-12.

by Keski on Jan 16, 2012 2:55 PM EST up reply actions

I'm hoping we go the college route

For the OC position. The NCAA has been a hot-bed for innovative offensive schemes and the Glazers should be scouring every where for intuitive football minds. No rush. Please Be Smart

by GoBuxGo on Jan 16, 2012 12:17 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

I think there IS a bit of urgency...

as a staff needs to be assembled. You can’t dawdle too long or the good fruit gets picked.

by Cracker Ball on Jan 16, 2012 4:10 PM EST up reply actions

Anybody else think the Glazers are trying to steal somebody from a playoff squad?

I think it would be good to keep that sort of thing under extreme secrecy… Kind of surprised that the Wade Phillips interview info got out and i wasn’t at all shocked to hear Phillips backing out a couple of days later. Now that the Saints and Packers are out of the playoffs, i think we might hear some more information about the Bucs bringing in a guy or two from those two squads…

Still waiting for the day that the NFL comes back to LA...

by LABucsFan on Jan 16, 2012 12:39 PM EST reply actions

There are a lot of rumblings about Perry Fewell

The Giants DC

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by Sander on Jan 16, 2012 12:45 PM EST up reply actions

I really hope we get Fewell

I think he would do alot in the development of are D-Line

by ShiftyShayne on Jan 16, 2012 2:00 PM EST via Android app up reply actions

I don't want to wait THAT long to decide...

especially if the NYG make it past SF and into the Superbowl. They schemed a good game against GB but got smoked several times during the season – not completely sold on Perry Fewell.

by Cracker Ball on Jan 16, 2012 4:13 PM EST up reply actions

It doesn't matter if the Giants make it to the Super Bowl or not for the Bucs' timetable

If the Giants make it to the Super Bowl, the Bucs will be allowed to interview him in the week before the Super Bowl.

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by Sander on Jan 16, 2012 4:17 PM EST up reply actions

i am not sold on Fewell,

He was on hot seat 4 games ago…….

by mlowebucs on Jan 16, 2012 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

Why?

I don’t understand the desire for Fewell.

by aakks on Jan 16, 2012 2:36 PM EST up reply actions

Im Willing To Bet

That If He Become’s Our Coach Soon , He Will Hire Hue Jackson As O-coord Because He Seen His Balance First Hand He Call’s A 500 Yard Ah Game Offense 300 Passing 200 Rushing Thats Balance

by RIP SEAN TAYLOR 21 on Jan 16, 2012 12:57 PM EST reply actions

i could only dream of a 500 yard game.......

by mlowebucs on Jan 16, 2012 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

or to stop teams from scoring 30 plus every week or 40 plus.......

by mlowebucs on Jan 16, 2012 2:20 PM EST up reply actions

That's the sad part

Normally when teams are putting up 40+, it’s a shootout and there is no defense. But we were giving up 40 while putting up 7…

by flash_kiley on Jan 16, 2012 2:23 PM EST via Android app up reply actions

After watching the playoff games,

I’m all aboard getting a defensive guy in here. Zimmer, Fewell, somebody.

by flash_kiley on Jan 16, 2012 2:22 PM EST via Android app reply actions

My ranking the defensive guys: Zimmer > Gray > Fewell

I’m still thinking Marty is my first choice though.

by aakks on Jan 16, 2012 2:27 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed.

I would put Fewell ahead of Gray, but that’s splitting hairs.

by flash_kiley on Jan 16, 2012 2:36 PM EST via Android app up reply actions

Why would you put Fewell ahead of Gray?

Gray’s defenses have been much better than Fewells.

by aakks on Jan 16, 2012 2:37 PM EST up reply actions

(and I don't think it is splitting hairs, I think it isn't even close)

by aakks on Jan 16, 2012 2:38 PM EST up reply actions

I'd agree with that

Fewell has gotten the Giants to play well in the playoffs at least, but that’s about it. At the same time that doesn’t mean he’d be a bad fit as a head coach.

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by Sander on Jan 16, 2012 2:42 PM EST up reply actions

He's not someone I'd "veto", I'd get on board

but I think there are much better candidates.

by aakks on Jan 16, 2012 2:45 PM EST up reply actions

Heh, that's how I feel about most of these candidates

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by Sander on Jan 16, 2012 2:48 PM EST up reply actions

Ya not too many super exciting choices

but some names sound a lot better than others to me.

by aakks on Jan 16, 2012 2:52 PM EST up reply actions

I guess I'm a prisoner of the moment

from the Green Bay game.

by flash_kiley on Jan 16, 2012 3:05 PM EST via Android app up reply actions

That was a hell of a game

Small sample size of 1 game, but the giants defense stepped up big time.

by aakks on Jan 16, 2012 3:07 PM EST up reply actions

Don't forget the Falcons game.

Their defense plays very well in the clutch and on the line, 2 spots our team was terrible at last year. As a D-coordinator I think he’d be awesome. I have no idea what he’d be like as a HC though.

Smoke 'em Blount!

by chuckyforpres on Jan 16, 2012 3:23 PM EST up reply actions

Moving to slow

We seriously need to move a bit faster because the college all star games are coming up n we need scouts out there doing evaluations on the college prospects…. Let’s get a coach already that is ready to make the bucs winners again

by bucs86forever on Jan 16, 2012 2:43 PM EST via Android app reply actions