Hot Seat
May 21st, 2018
Heat is on.
There is always pressure to win in the NFL. This season, however, there may be added pressure on Bucs coach Dirk Koetter.
Since Team Glazer purchased the Bucs, only one coach they have hired has been retained after two consecutive losing seasons. And that one coach happened to have won a Super Bowl for the franchise so he had serious street cred. Koetter has no such resume.
(Clarification: Sam Wyche was retained after consecutive losing seasons but he was hired by original franchise owner Hugh Culverhouse. Wyche was inherited by Malcolm Glazer when he purchased the Bucs from the Culverhouse estate.)
Perhaps with this in mind, Vinnie Iyer, typing for Sporting News, Koetter is now sitting on the second-hottest seat in the NFL.
The offensive-mined Koetter remains in Tampa Bay because the team hopes things eventually will work with Jameis Winston. But if a talented, improving team stays in fourth place, even in the tough NFC South, it won’t cut it.
How hot a seat does Iyer believe Koetter is sitting on? The only guy with a warmer seat, per Iyer, is a guy who has won a grand total of one game the past two seasons. Hell, Koetter almost had the Bucs in the playoffs two years ago. Geez.
Joe is of the mind that Mike Smith, the Bucs defensive coordinator, is the key to Koetter’s job security. Smith better turn around the worst defense in the NFL with all the talent that was added in the offseason, and he or someone on his staff better quickly learn how to coach up rookie corners or all hell will break loose come January.
If the Bucs don’t make the playoffs but have a winning record, yet the defense is rotten again, it is Smith, not Koetter, who better have a U-Haul phone number ready.
May 21st, 2018 at 12:13 am
Who hired Smith and refused to replace him after last season? That would be Dirk Koetter.
May 21st, 2018 at 12:18 am
May 21st, 2018 at 12:21 am
Dammit I messed up my quote levels. Lol.
May 21st, 2018 at 1:41 am
Koetter right now is being precieve as weak no accountability.
Iyer probably saw that talent from last year and thought 10-11 wins. Koetter squeezed 5 so yeah he should be number 2 on the hot seat
.
I personal think about 5-7
May 21st, 2018 at 1:51 am
I hate saying this but I love how the Steelers do it they stayed with like three coaches in the last million years. I would love to go after Josh McDaniels and keep him regardless for 7 years and then see where we’re at.
May 21st, 2018 at 4:28 am
This just in breaking news…. water is wet. For details read JBF.
May 21st, 2018 at 4:53 am
The Steelers are a successful franchise because they don’t fire their HC every two or three years. They have stability. Their players don’t have to deal with changes in personnel and systems. Hopefully the Glazers will take note. The foundation of talent on offense AND defense is there. Stick with Koetter and Licht.
May 21st, 2018 at 6:16 am
Boy, how you guys can stay so negative is truly commendable. But how you cloak your negativity by referencing others opinions, and not taking a stand yourselves, is weak. Do you ever have an original thought? We all read the same crap you dictate at a later date on this site. We know the national opinion. What’s the Joe’s opinion? On anything!
May 21st, 2018 at 6:26 am
It’s funny we are blaming Smith in 2017, because in 2016 we were blaming Koetter’s offensive failings for coming up short in games. Do we thus give Smith the same pass?
May 21st, 2018 at 6:29 am
I agree with Jason..I like Dirk but his loyalty to Mike Smith is what we cost him his job, said it day 1.
Jason Licht better not be going anywhere and I don’t think he will be. I remember hearing him say at the combine when asked about retaining the entire coaching staff he said “This is dirks staff”. Kinda tells me he knows Dirk is going to take the heat for the crap defense more than He will. I would really love to see this team with Dirk retained but it’s his fault pushing this thing into year three with no changes.
To late now to keep.saying fire Mike Smith. I will wait until after week.1 when drew brees absolutely destroys us
May 21st, 2018 at 6:32 am
Pewter Power not everyone bought into the mirage in 2016. It was b.s from the get go. Mike Smith has never been good….ever
May 21st, 2018 at 6:50 am
8-8 gets Koetter a pass….Improvement will save him….I think the Glazers are done with churning coaches….I could be wrong and hope that isn’t tested….
May 21st, 2018 at 7:01 am
Koetter is on the hot seat. With all the talent we have on offense if we don’t score 35-40 points a game coaches will be fired.
May 21st, 2018 at 7:16 am
@Tampabaybucfan
I don’t see how any one can start throwing out a requirement of retainment when we have not heard a definitive decision of the JW3 investigation!!!!!!! We have not seen all the backups, salary cut casualties, traded old player, and draft pick that will make the new D-line!!!!!! We have not even seen the new youth infused secondary on the field for the first time practice!!!!!!
How can you have a bar of achievement already???
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!
May 21st, 2018 at 7:51 am
At least you can say Licht more than did his job.
May 21st, 2018 at 7:55 am
I don’t think an average season saves koetter not after during Dungy for failing to win in the playoffs. 8-8 with this team won’t cut it for the Glazer’s and if koetter fails they move on. Unless the glazers think the players assembled adds up to 8-8 talent
May 21st, 2018 at 8:14 am
Smith should’ve been fired already. Koetter on the hot seat?! You better believe it!
May 21st, 2018 at 8:20 am
No one wants Klueless out of town than Kobe
Klueless is imcompetent and surely isn HC Material. Klueless scheme and playcalling is the worst in the NFL….
However, if Klueless goes 5+ wins…..Klueless will be back next year
We are the Cincinnati Bengals South…marvin lewis…brown ownership
The Glazers are gurenteed 200 mil each year from the tv contract. RJS seats being empty doesnt matter. With sports gambling upon us, the owners will be making over 300 mill each with more lucatic tv, cable, mobile, advertising contracts
The Kobe Realist
May 21st, 2018 at 8:27 am
Dirks ass is so hot Smitty is feeling it!!!!! LOL
May 21st, 2018 at 8:41 am
@GhostofSchiano
I can’t think of one NFL GM that has done an emergency rebuild of a whole D-line and Infusion of much needed talent in the secondary that has ” Done His Job”!!!!!!!!!!
Build and continue to build!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!
May 21st, 2018 at 8:50 am
We drafted well, added a bunch of new talent across both lines, we should on paper at least be a .500 team. If this coaching staff can’t muster more then six wins they all need to be fired. We let Dungy go because he couldn’t win in the playoffs, why should we keep Koetter after three years if he can’t even make it to the playoffs?
May 21st, 2018 at 9:44 am
yall crazy trying to compare the steelers coaching situation to the bucs…..how many losing seasons has tomlin had?……how many rings does he have?……that’s why he’s still the coach…..same with cowher……from 92-06 he had 2 losing seasons…..finished 8-8 once……he had an winning record his first 6 years as HC….so don’t compare this situation to the steelers…..that’s like comparing apples to onions…..
no way 8-8 gets dirk a pass…..this is a playoff team right now….we have all the pieces right now…..
dirk is rightfully so on the 2nd hottest seat in the league!!!!!!…..and unfortunately, we saw him fold under pressure last year when faced with adversity!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
May 21st, 2018 at 9:47 am
GHost
I agree…..
licht has done a decent job but these coaches are screwing him over…..they don’t/cant adjust and are predictable…..the coaches need to do a better job on developing the players and putting players in position to win…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
May 21st, 2018 at 10:21 am
Time to get some perspectivos floks……..One winning season and one losing season in the most difficult division on the NFL, with much less talent than what we thought we had on the last two seasons. And lets not forget that when Smitty had an expiring contract we were begging and praying not to go somwhere else, remember the Giants??? Remember his first season as DC? His first season our defense was really good….. … We had a good season and a bad season with this coaching staff,with most of this players and with this GM. To early to speak about hot seat with Koetter, I would understand this comments at the end of this season and another really bad year, but not now.-….. To much anxiety….We need to trust , we need to relax, and after this season see what´s the future….not now….too early
May 21st, 2018 at 10:40 am
Dirks not an elite coach but in his defense he had had crap talent
May 21st, 2018 at 11:21 am
Waiting till preseason to set expectations but on paper I’d think there is no reason this team should have a losing record year 3 under Koetter; simply due to the offensive talent he has and the amount of time all of them have been under his system; even if WInston misses a couple games.
May 21st, 2018 at 12:16 pm
Although Smith specifically does not deserve the retention, I commend the owners and Jason Licht for standing pat with the coaching staff (aside from adding Buckner). Continuity may just payoff this year, I’m optimistic!
May 21st, 2018 at 3:19 pm
813…Tomlin has won 1 SB in about 12 years with the Steelers, down in Tampa. Only other SB under Tomlin they lost to the Packers at Dallas.
May 21st, 2018 at 4:31 pm
buccfan37
that’s why tomlin is still the HC….he’s a SB winning coach that has never had a losing season…..you don’t let a coach go that has taken you to 2 SB’ winning 1 and never being below .500……
but folks act like 9-7 gets dirk the same privilege as tomlin…..tomlin earned his longevity…..dirk, not so much….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!