Buccaneers hire one-day Northern Illinois OC P.J. Fleck as Wide Receivers coach per report

by Sander on Feb 4, 2012 4:33 PM EST in News

According to ESPN Chicago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will hire former NFL receiver P.J. Fleck as their wide receivers coach. P.J. Fleck spent two seasons as Rutgers' receivers coach under new Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano, and was hired by Northern Illinois as its offensive coordinator just two days ago. He resigned just one day later, however, and Pewter Report quickly connected the dots.

P.J. Fleck played college football at Northern Illinois and went undrafted in the 2004 NFL draft. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers but never played in a game before becoming a coach. Since 2006 he has coached for Ohio State, Northern Illinois and Rutgers University. At Rutgers he coached Mohamed Sanu, likely to be a second-round NFL draft pick this year. With both Sanu's head coach and receivers coach now with the Bucs, he would be a logical target for the team.

This is the first assistant coaching hire for Greg Schiano, if the report turns out to be correct. The Bucs are likely to flesh out their staff over the next couple of days. The Bucs don't necessarily need to be speedy with these hires, as the team's coaches cannot work with the players for the next couple of months anyway per the CBA.

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I hope this doesnt lead us to draft sanu early in the second.

by Carlitin1988 on Feb 4, 2012 4:53 PM EST via Android app reply actions

Whew

Thank God they didn’t name him OC… At least, we hope…

A woman who knows her sports.

by Bucs-RaysChick on Feb 4, 2012 5:28 PM EST reply actions

Definitely hope not

We need a vet WR. V-Jax or Stevie Johnson if not signed. Dont think they’ll draft a receiver that high though but you never know.

Trust. Belief. Accountability. The new Buc way as pronounced by Coach Schiano.

by Buc-Drunk on Feb 4, 2012 5:29 PM EST reply actions

V-Jax likely to get franchise tag according to paper in SD.

Havent heard about Stevie Johnsons situation, I will check into that. Also things in Philadelphia arent going well at the negotiation table with desean jackson. Would be a nice pick up, although not sure how his “giving up” during last season for contract dispute would sit with a disciplinarian coach like schiano.

by Gobucsgo on Feb 6, 2012 9:38 AM EST up reply actions

I agree...We need a vet at that position badly.

Please get Vincent Jackson Dom…

by ctd1977 on Feb 4, 2012 5:34 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Butch Davis 4 DC

Make it happen Glazernik

by GoBuxGo on Feb 4, 2012 5:47 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions

Wonder if this is sending a signal about the OC situation?

If we were close to signing a high profile OC, I’m pretty sure this would not happen – he’d want to choose his own staff, including WR coach. Plus, I’d think an OC would not love having a WR coach who has such a strong relationship with a HC… probably willing to live with it, but not a great situation for an OC.

It could be that with McNulty being promoted to QB coach for AZ, this hire was a F*** You from the Bucs to the Cardinals, who now need a WR coach….and who might have been targeting his guy.

by MRWright88 on Feb 4, 2012 5:48 PM EST reply actions

... or the Cardinals couldn't care less

by Cracker Ball on Feb 4, 2012 6:17 PM EST up reply actions

Good Point

Yeah This hire kind of lets you know that they don’t know which direction to go in with OC because im sure if Haley or Jackson was on the radar they would have wanted a hand in on choosing position coaches i could be wrong but hiring a Position coach before coordinator doesnt sound to good…

by DrummaBoi561 on Feb 4, 2012 6:07 PM EST reply actions

None of this is going to shake out well for us...

and I can only hope Butch Davis gets named DC soon. We need NFL experience somewhere.

by Cracker Ball on Feb 4, 2012 6:18 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah We need Butch

But I dont understand why he hasn’t been hired yet…That speculation has been going on since Last Thursday and still no interview contact or nothing..I think that was probably because Butch was preparing for the signing day Thing but I would think if he was that high on Schiano’s list we would’ve heard something by now….

by DrummaBoi561 on Feb 4, 2012 6:32 PM EST up reply actions

The Bucs are excellent at keeping stuff under the radar

Bucs Nation - your source for Tampa Bay Buccaneers content

by Sander on Feb 4, 2012 6:35 PM EST up reply actions

Indeed

Who even knew that Schiano was in the running before he was officially hired?! The Bucs may already have someone hired.

by Pinnacl3 on Feb 4, 2012 9:36 PM EST up reply actions

True

But maybe they were waiting post superbowl to pick at some of the coaches from either team. Who knows at this point. The fact that we hired a WR coach before a OC means its going to be a Schiano familar OC likely. Maybe a way to get Mcnulty from AZ? We shall see.

by Gobucsgo on Feb 6, 2012 9:39 AM EST up reply actions

Agree

this is not looking good at all. Schiano and his staff couldn’t win the Big East, and now they are going to try to take it to the next level. They better nail down some better guys soon or we are looking at 4-12 for the next 5 years.

by bucfanlostiniowa on Feb 4, 2012 6:35 PM EST up reply actions

Championship!!!

Fire up that Blount!

by TampaBayAllTheWayFromCaliforni-A on Feb 4, 2012 6:54 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Ha! Some great lulz on Fleck's wiki page.

Aside from already labeling him our WR coach without an official team announcement, there’s this gem:

In addition, in a recent poll on Palehosed.com, Fleck was voted the Most Famous Illinoisan of All Time (suck on it, Abraham Lincoln).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.J.Fleck

Follow me @worldwidemaldo.

by jMagic09 on Feb 4, 2012 8:42 PM EST reply actions

Love it

more famous than Lincoln lol.

by Gobucsgo on Feb 6, 2012 9:40 AM EST up reply actions

What is his WR philosophy?

by Chengdu Buc on Feb 5, 2012 12:00 AM EST reply actions

His WR philosophy could be simple, catch the GD ball.

by Brar on Feb 5, 2012 12:06 AM EST up reply actions

Seriously, when are the going to hire butch davis?

Do it already…..

East Coast Fan

by Bucfan on Feb 5, 2012 12:56 AM EST via mobile reply actions

It would be like the teacher working for the student

But would be nice, we need an old school rock solid defensive coordinator.

by Gobucsgo on Feb 6, 2012 9:41 AM EST up reply actions

butch davis will b gud

but da the giants DC wud b sum gud stuff 2

zed

by zed12nc on Feb 5, 2012 11:11 AM EST reply actions

Yeah

But he would’nt leave a potential super bowl champion to be DC a tampa…

by DrummaBoi561 on Feb 5, 2012 12:54 PM EST up reply actions

Why don't we just call them the tampa bay knights... Pshhh this blows

by Carlitin1988 on Feb 5, 2012 1:01 PM EST via Android app reply actions

Have faith

We shall prevail!!!!!!

by Gobucsgo on Feb 6, 2012 9:40 AM EST up reply actions

As I recall

You were attacking others for saying the Bucs were not a legitimate play off team last season on the other blogs. I get optimism but there is no credible reason to have faith right now. The Bucs history with their head coach hires/fires doesn’t exactly scream confidence.

by ncbucfan on Feb 6, 2012 3:10 PM EST up reply actions