Buccaneers hire Brett Maxie as defensive backs coach

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hiring Brett Maxie as their defensive backs coach, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. He will work with Jon Hoke, who will be the team's secondary coach. It's not clear how the team will be dividing responsibilities between the two, but NFL teams universally have multiple defensive backs coaches with safeties, cornerbacks and slot cornerbacks all having different responsibilities and requiring different skillsets.

Maxie played in the NFL as a safety for 13 seasons from 1985 through 1997, including nine for the New Orleans Saints, two for the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons. His being hired by the Bucs thus completes his NFC South trip. He managed 23 interceptions in 104 starts.

Maxie's been a coach since 1998, holding various assistant positions with NFL teams from until 2013, including stints as the primary defensive backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers (2002-03), Atlanta Falcons (2004-06), Dallas Cowboys (2008-11) and Tennessee Titans (2012-13). He was an assistant coach for Vanderbilt the past two years, coaching the secondary in 2014 and cornerbacks in 2015.

Intriguingly, Maxie coached Alterraun Verner to his best season in 2013. Verner's in danger of becoming a cap casualty for the Bucs this season given his relatively disappointing play and $6.75 million salary, but perhaps his former defensive backs coach can turn him back into the player he used to be.

Auman also reports the Bucs will bring back Dave Kennedy as the head strength coach, as well as his staff.