clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

What happened to that 'thorough, wide search' the Tampa Bay Buccaneers promised?

When Joel Glazer spoke to the media after firing Raheem Morris, he spoke of the coaching search. He said that the Bucs would conduct a "thorough, wide search". He said that they wouldn't "pigeonhole" themselves. He said that this would be an "exhaustive" search and that the Bucs would interview many different candidates. Finally, he said that the search would take as long as was necessary to find the right person for the job.

Well, it's certainly taking a long time, which would suggest that they still haven't found the right person. But that may not be because they're conducting an exhaustive search and just not finding who they want, because the Glazers have seemingly limited the type of coach they're willing to examine.

They've interviewed one (experienced) coordinator in Jerry Gray and are rumored to be interested in one other experienced coordinator in Mike Zimmer. Other than those two, every other interviewed or rumored coach has already been a head coach before. Clearly the Bucs have pigeonholed themselves as they're looking for experience.

No college coaches have been interviewed. No offensive coordinators have been examined. No one considered to be a young, up-and-coming coach (except Jerry Gray) has even been deemed worthy of a glance. The Bucs didn't get what they wanted out of Raheem Morris, but that doesn't mean they need to go in the exact opposite direction.

A 'thorough, wide search' would include at least interviewing some young coordinators and college head coaches - and maybe even some position coaches. That doesn't mean the Bucs need to hire them - but why not at least give them a look? Is there a downside to doing that?