Butch Davis joins Tampa Bay Buccaneers, won't coach

by Sander on Feb 13, 2012 6:17 PM EST in News

CHARLOTTE, NC - FILE: Head coach Butch Davis of the North Carolina Tar Heels yells to his team before their game against the Pittsburgh Panthers on December 26, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Butch Davis has been fired as head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels according to reports on July 27, 2011. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially added Butch Davis to their staff, but not in any coaching capacity. He has been named the special assistant to the head coach, as opposed to the earlier reported title of senior defensive assistant. Whether that difference in title is significant remains to be seen, but it seems to imply one thing: the Bucs never intended for Davis to be their defensive coordinator.

Had the Bucs wanted to add Butch Davis in a coaching capacity, they would have had to buy out his North Carolina contract, which was still worth a reported $2.7 million. Instead, Davis will help Greg Schiano mold the franchise. While it's not clear what he will do, it is clear he won't be doing one thing: coaching.

And that means the Bucs continue their search for a defensive coordinator, a search they still haven't finished in part because coaches declined to join the team, or were denied that opportunity by their current employers. With the Combine and free agency around the corner, the Bucs need to get a defensive coordinator in the building, if only so they can figure out what kind of players they want to add to the team.

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Cheapstakes strike again

The Bucs could have easily bought out his contract… I mean really what is $2.7million to a NFL franchise?

by BucFan727 on Feb 13, 2012 6:23 PM EST reply actions

It's pretty likely they didn't want him to be a defensive coordinator

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by Sander on Feb 13, 2012 6:44 PM EST up reply actions

or

Butch doesn’t want to coach anymore. No way the Glazers not pay him if they really wanted him or if he really wanted to coach

by gusjackson on Feb 13, 2012 7:28 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

$2.7 million is steep for a defensive coordinator.

Now if the Glazers wanted him to be a HC, 2.7 million would be a relative pittance, maybe around half of what he would have made in a season anyways. Defensive coordinators making anything near that is pretty rare though. The salaries for coordinator positions aren’t THAT high lol.

by KRoa on Feb 13, 2012 10:09 PM EST up reply actions

Wade Phillips is worth twice that... now.

look what a great DEF did for HOU. They have gone from a good offensive team to a legit Superbowl contender in 1 short year.

by Cracker Ball on Feb 14, 2012 9:19 AM EST up reply actions

There's a difference,

And that is that Wade is probably a top 5-10 defensive coordinator in the NFL. Butch Davis is not lol.

And while Wade MIGHT be worth about $5 mil a year because of what he can do with a defense, it’s more likely that he’d be paid like a top d-coord, maybe in the $2 mil a year range.

by KRoa on Feb 14, 2012 12:14 PM EST up reply actions

Actually, it shouldn't be ALL that difficult...

to improve on being the 31st ranked DEF (out of 32).

by Cracker Ball on Feb 14, 2012 2:42 PM EST up reply actions

A couple good players could easily make us middle of the road defense

A handful of good players and we are back in the to 10.

by Gobucsgo on Feb 14, 2012 2:59 PM EST up reply actions

It should be pretty easy improve upon the 31st ranked DEF.

But to go from the 31st defense to a top 3 defense, with only a handful of new faces on the defense and missing their best defensive player (Mario Williams) for the majority of the season….well, that’s what separates Wade Phillips from other coordinators.

by KRoa on Feb 14, 2012 3:30 PM EST up reply actions

great coaching does that

I hope we can make even half that improvement, because what Wade did is extremely rare.

by Gobucsgo on Feb 14, 2012 3:43 PM EST up reply actions

There could be more to the contract than we know

They may not be a buy out clause. There may be a penalty and millions of other possible options. The fact that we have him here at all says ownership cares about righting this ship.

by Gobucsgo on Feb 14, 2012 8:14 AM EST up reply actions

I wish we woulda bought out his damn contract

Now well probably end up with an over his head dc

by Carlitin1988 on Feb 13, 2012 6:23 PM EST via Android app reply actions

Ho hum, wish he was our DC

East Coast Fan

by Bucfan on Feb 13, 2012 9:04 PM EST via mobile reply actions

wow im getting really excited now, doesnt it seem they make the wrong move at every turn

by 1dreday on Feb 13, 2012 9:08 PM EST reply actions

AM I THE ONLY ONE....

That is just glad he’s here!!?? golly, everywhere (mostly) I turn people calling him a greedy loser and the Bucs are dumb etc…
The man is a defensive genius and turned out more STUD NFL talent than anyone else in the last 10 years..
/rant

by Hatter on Feb 13, 2012 9:19 PM EST reply actions

Not at all

I am glad he is here in any capacity.

by Gobucsgo on Feb 14, 2012 8:15 AM EST up reply actions

i am glad he's here, i just wish the glazers would be better owners.

do a lil reasearch and see what a mess theyve made out of manchester united.

by 1dreday on Feb 13, 2012 9:24 PM EST reply actions

Man U is the second most successful soccer club during the Glazers' ownership, in the world

What a ‘mess’ indeed.

Also, please use capital letters and use spellcheck.

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by Sander on Feb 13, 2012 9:28 PM EST up reply actions

What were they before they took over?

I’m not a big soccer guy, but my impression of the situation is that it damn near impossible to derail the ManU train, which is why it was so valuable in the first place.

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

by LeeCaz on Feb 13, 2012 11:38 PM EST up reply actions

It's pretty easy to derail any train in the Premiership, really

Man U has done slightly better since the Glazers took over, but it’s a small difference. Regardless, they didn’t exactly mess up that team.

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by Sander on Feb 14, 2012 7:58 AM EST up reply actions

by Sander on Feb 16, 2012 10:15 AM EST up reply actions

Glad that he's on board

If nothing else, if next year’s DC tanks, we’ll have him waiting in the wings- but hopefully between Schiano, Davis, and the new guy at DC (whoever he may be), the defense will thrive.

With the 5th pick of the 2012 NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select....

by RookTakesYou on Feb 14, 2012 12:56 PM EST reply actions