NFL Coaching Rumors: Could the Buccaneers go after Nick Saban?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' head coaching search has been oddly quiet. They've interviewed just three coaches that we know of in Dirk Koetter, Harold Goodwin and Sen McDermott and most signs point to Koetter being the choice. But that's too boring, so the internet rumor mill has gotten going and out comes the notion that the Bucs could hire Alabama coach Nick Saban -- including three local columns suggesting they should, by Martin Fennelly, Tom Jones and Mark Cook.

So out we come with our rumor-analysis machine.

Why this makes sense

The Glazers love big splashes and unpredictable moves, and this certainly would be one. From spending two first-round picks on Jon Gruden to firing him for Raheem Morris to going with Greg Schiano and finally moving to the big name in Lovie Smith, they've consistently made big and sometimes unpredictable moves. Hiring Saban certainly would fit that bill.

In addition to that, Saban is a defensive coach with an outstanding track record on that side of the ball. Even when he coached the Dolphins, his defense held up well. In an ideal scenario, the Bucs could hire him and retain Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator

Why this doesn't make sense

The Bucs already did the disciplinarian college coach thing with Greg Schiano. It didn't work out too well. Granted, Nick Saban's a better coach than Schiano ever was, but Saban's one stint in the NFL didn't exactly convince people he wouldn't suffer the same problems that all of those disciplinarian college coaches confront: the fact that NFL players are grown men with massive incomes, and can't be pushed around the way college kids can be.

Saban also burned some bridges with the way he left the NFL, and players weren't kind to him once he did.

Finally, why would Saban even want to come to Tampa? He's got the cushiest job in college football, and has a chance to vie for the title of all-time best college coach with a few more seasons there. And then there's the whole thing about his wife loving it there and not wanting him to move. It's tough to see this one happening.

Odds of this happening

5%. Maybe.