Ex-NFL Player: Don’t Delay
November 16th, 2018
Cut the cord, says ex NFL offensive lineman.
It’s fair to suggest that Bucs Bit-O-Honey-snacking, Ozark-watching coach Dirk Koetter’s job security may not be so secure.
After starting 2-0, the Bucs have gone on a 1-6 run. In the process, Koetter has (rightfully) fired his defensive coordinator (probably nine months too late), benched the franchise quarterback and at least for the time being, has resumed play-calling duties.
In short, Koetter is out of chess moves.
After starting his tenure with an exciting 9-7 mark in 2016, the Bucs have a record of 8-17 (a .320 winning percentage). That puts any coach who doesn’t own the team in hot water.
Oh, and the quarterback Koetter claims gives him the best chance to win is on an 0-4 run.
Barring a string of unforeseen victories, it is hard to imagine Koetter returning in 2019, just based on Team Glazer history alone. The family that owns the Bucs has never retained a head coach they hired who had consecutive losing seasons, unless that coach also won the franchise a Super Bowl.
Just to avoid a losing 2018, Koetter must guide the Bucs to no less than a 5-2 record the rest of the way.
In the eyes of former NFL offensive lineman, Princeton graduate and NFL media personality Ross Tucker, Team Glazer should do Koetter a solid and cut ties with him now, Tucker types for The Athletic.
But I’m also not a fan of delaying the inevitable. Once it is clear that a coach’s time with an organization has run its course, keeping him around is a terrible decision for so many reasons.
Take Dirk Koetter in Tampa with the Bucs, or Todd Bowles in New York with the Jets. Barring an absolute miracle, like either team winning out, neither one of those guys is expected to be back with their respective organizations next season.
And they know it. The assistant coaches know it. And, perhaps most importantly, the players are aware of it as well, even if they tell the media they don’t pay attention to any of that “white noise.” They know. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Tucker went on to detail why it’s better to move on now, explaining the coach no longer has to subject himself to embarrassing press conferences, player discipline will improve and there is sort of a closure for assistants as they realize they will likely have to move on and can start their job search.
Tucker noted when players realize the coach is a dead man walking, discipline quickly breaks down. Some assistants, however, could be retained and players know that as well. Players, Tucker types, figure out they don’t have to follow rules because the head coach enforcing the rules won’t be around to enforce them.
Team Glazer has never made a coaching move in the middle of a season. So to expect Koetter to be fired before the end of the season is fully ignoring what Team Glazer has done in the past.
November 16th, 2018 at 5:27 am
You just can’t show the side Dirk has for the past several weeks – the drained look, the I have no answers, bold face lying about the QB situation -he is so over his head as the head guy
Dirk seems like the guy I want on my staff, keeping it loose, having fun -that is his style…the day in day out pressure of being THE guy – not in his wheel house
After the NY Football Giants wax us Sunday, maybe ownership wont fire him, but they send the message its time to start planning for 2019…
November 16th, 2018 at 5:36 am
The “white noise” reference is offensive.
November 16th, 2018 at 5:38 am
LMAO I could give 2 sh!ts what Ross Tucker has to say. That guy is a clown
November 16th, 2018 at 5:38 am
Koetter is trying so hard to save face but 1.5 years too late. Sunday will be an interesting game if the bucs lose. Or shall I say the press conference after will be.
November 16th, 2018 at 5:50 am
Glazers need to can Koetter and Fireeee Licht! Get it over with already. Let’s focus on getting Jameis back on track and getting Ray Jay back to a majority Bucs crowd…
November 16th, 2018 at 6:04 am
Give Bucs fans a chance to celebrate! Fireeeeeee Licht!
November 16th, 2018 at 6:19 am
Watching last night game between Seattle and Green Bay, two teams that had good coaching, players giving it their all, it made sick. Our team.is nothing even close to that. Our team isn’t even worthy of playing in this league.
Funny how J.R Sweezy is playing hard for Seattle
November 16th, 2018 at 6:19 am
Because what they’ve done in the past 11 years has worked well.
November 16th, 2018 at 6:27 am
#FireDirkKoetterNowPlease….
If we do can Dirk I think Licht is out as well…he stabbed Lovie in the back, hand picked Koetter, he’s not very good in Free Agency or the draft, with the exception of a handful of above average/solid players he’s drafted in 5 years he hadn’t drafted very well imo…people are still laughing about the Auguyo pick… Personally, I think Jon Robinson is a better GM…
November 16th, 2018 at 6:28 am
Last year it was rumored that there was bad blood between Koetter and Jameis. Right now it seems like that may have been true. Perhaps he is benching JW3 because he thinks JW3 is throwing picks on purpose to get rid of him
November 16th, 2018 at 6:37 am
I don’t see a real benefit to firing him before the season is over other than my own enjoyment. But the Glazers should definitely have a short list of coaches and be ready to move quickly on those coaches as soon as the season is over.
November 16th, 2018 at 6:45 am
Dirk doesn’t have the lost look. He has the look of a man who has been ordered to tank the season, and it goes against his nature and everything he’s been teaching.
We all know Fitz is not the best chance to win. He is the best chance to lose. Josh McCown all over again.
But this time, there’s only one great QB in the draft to choose from, so we need the first pick or bust.
Dirk is being forced to tank the season.
November 16th, 2018 at 6:47 am
And just to be clear, by ordering him to tank, the Glazers are also committing to keeping him. So expect a 2 year extension for Dirk.
November 16th, 2018 at 6:52 am
Bonzai- As insane as that sounds, I would not put it past them. One thing this organization is really, really good at is chasing away fans. It’s a heck of a way to run a business, let me tell you.
BucEmUp- Don’t forget Bradley McDougald.
November 16th, 2018 at 7:04 am
He isn’t the first person to say this and won’t be the last. I’d like to see a Monkin with an interim shot too. I’m not opposed to giving Koetter another year but they need to fire Licht. He’s the one that needs to go now. The Bucs have had too many busts under Licht’s management. Get a good GM and scouting team first and foremost. Licht hits on one out of every 6 picks. No coach can win with that.
November 16th, 2018 at 7:07 am
As long as Reach Licht is here, it doesn’t matter when they pick in the draft because he always goes for the worst available player on the board.
November 16th, 2018 at 7:15 am
sometimes dirk wears those unspoken words…”glazers please just let me go”…
dirk is a wonderful artist and his forte is unspoken word…
#SituationFubar
November 16th, 2018 at 7:17 am
Double Nickle
November 16th, 2018 at 7:33 am
Why will the local media not talk about bringing in the new gm and start the player evaluation???????? Did firing Coach Smitty set all the supposed defensive talent free????? or does it look the same!!!!!!!!!!
If the local media had its way, there would be only 3 coaches left to finish the rest of the games at one buc, and then just bring in new coaches to fix jw3 next year and try to build another defense around gmc to say that he just needs “help”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 16th, 2018 at 7:34 am
Why do you guys like Monken so much??? All he does is run Koetters offense, nothing changes with Monken as head coach
November 16th, 2018 at 7:48 am
Couldnt agree more with this guy. He should have been fired end of last season with Smitty. We’ve seen what waiting too long has done. Why wait longer. Do it do it.
November 16th, 2018 at 7:55 am
I don’t get this… we have the best offense in franchise history minus the run game and Koetter is an offensive guy. Plus we had a couple drafts that ignored the defense. We finally went defense in the last draft and those guys have yet to show up.
Get a top notch defensive coordinator. Improve in the draft. May need 1-2 o line guys that can run block and maybe a better o line and running back coach.
But I wouldn’t blow it all up. Sean Payton was 7-9 for three straight years with Drew Brees and he has turned it around. Be patient… I think Koetters offense is top 10.
November 16th, 2018 at 8:58 am
KEEP KOETTER! We cannot jettison coaches every 2-3 years! It makes zero sense! We have already wasted 7 years already on 3 different coaches. It will be a 10-year waste if we fire Coach K. How many more years must we waste? on the flip side, we can afford to replace a GM and a DC, and possibly a position coach or 2, but not another head coach. To believe otherwise is proof none of you should own and operate a major corporation, much less a football team. Stability at the head coaching position will pay off! Firing coaches have a proven result of inconstancy, losing, and lack of direction. To do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result is an insanity! Give Coach K more time! His GM has failed him defensively. I beg you to look a the players the GM has signed out of FA to play defense.
November 16th, 2018 at 9:02 am
Let’s be honest, Koetter isn’t HC material in this league. HCs are good managers of their players and their staff. He is neither of those things.
November 16th, 2018 at 9:02 am
“Oh, and the quarterback Koetter claims gives him the best chance to win is on an 0-4 run.”. Poor Dirk because the other quarterback is on a 2-12 run. Damn
November 16th, 2018 at 9:04 am
IMO firing HC’s, GM’s and even coordinators mid-season is risky. Yes put them on notice, even shuffle their responsibilities but firing them with several games remaining really dissolves the foundation of the team at so many levels. When 2 maybe 3 years is the life expectancy of your leadership you compound the problem of player security, fan confidence, and possibly potential talent if you start firing mid-season. I had to laugh the other day when I read an article about L. Bell coming to Tampa next year. Other than the money does anybody really think he wants to show case his talents on this team. Show me a reputable HC aspiring to fill Koetter’s shoes. As far as Koetter being instructed to tank in exchange for a couple of more seasons, if thats what the Glazers have stooped to then fans who buy tickets need to demand a refund. IMO try for 10-6, evaluate talent, try to create a desirable market for FA’s, and Draft picks and if you decide to go in a different direction wait until after the season when cooler heads prevail.
November 16th, 2018 at 9:06 am
Lay off the hash, Bonzai. Do you follow the rest of the league? Bucs are not nearly the worst team in the NFL. There are several teams that are worse and the Bucs will never get a #1 overall pick. The Raiders are likely going to have that pick.
If the Bucs were tanking the season they’d play Ryan Griffin “to see what they have in him.” That would be their explanation.
November 16th, 2018 at 9:08 am
I also think the Bucs should keep Koetter for one more year. The HC is not the biggest problem with this team.
November 16th, 2018 at 10:02 am
I would’ve fired Koetter last Sunday after the game and named Monken Interim HC. If the offense is still ranked as at the top and scoring points, then I would retain him as OC for next season. Hire a defensive HC and tell him to leave the offense alone. Just like the Colts did when they kept Tom Moore S OC and told Tony Dungy to stay out of the offense’s way. Or how we kept Monte Kiffin as DC and hired Jon Gruden to fix the offense. Or just fire everybody and blow up the team.
November 16th, 2018 at 10:05 am
You have to fire Kotter, he has already lost the players by keeping smith for as long as he has and the win/loss record. The only way he would be able to gain the entire team back would be to come out and say the Glazers forced him to bench Jameis because the owners already has written Jameis off and are tanking to get the next QB they feel would be best for the organization. We all know the Glazers have no clue when it comes to building a football team, if they had half the ability their dad had we would be a powerhouse. The Glazers need to take a step back, admit they don’t know what they are doing and hire someone to run the team. Normally a president of football operations is a wasted title, but there are certain instances that it’s not only warranted but required. IMO this is one of those times.
As for Jameis we need to resign him to a 2 year deal loaded with stipulations about off field conduct (which I believe is behind him) and load it with lots play based bonuses so if he can prove that he can be the franchise QB we all thought he had the ability to become. Make the bonuses elevate his salary to top 10ish QB pay. Hire in a great proven QB Guru as QB coach, load his contract with bonuses dependent of Jameis development. We need to also replace our strength and conditioning coaches. We have had way to many injuries which most seem to stem from conditioning. You will always have injuries but being able to recover from and avoid the stupid injuries will go along ways for winning throughout a season.
There is a lot that is wrong with our team, but not everything is a total loss, we do have a solid core of young players under the right coach that could make us contenders in the near future, but our team culture needs to change. We have to stop throwing money at the players or so called beast FA signings. We need to build through the draft and develop our own beast, that way WE can be the ones driving the brand new vette and have someone buy it from us when WE are done running the sh!t out of it. Football is not like basketball or Baseball you can’t just buy all Allstars and win championships, you can’t load your team so you have the best in every position, that’s why you have to develop use and move on.
November 16th, 2018 at 10:24 am
Pear shaped Petey D. the prognosticator? An extension for DK?! Ok. I think Tucker is right on the money here. Start the “official” coaching search now. Interview Buckner in house. This thing has soured beyond repair. It should have taken place last year.
November 16th, 2018 at 10:32 am
1. It’s not a foregone conclusion Licht is gone. It is not looking good though.
2. Have all offseason for the “evaluation.”
November 16th, 2018 at 10:34 am
Jameis may make dumb decisions despite his football IQ but he’s not dumb enough to make a $21 million dumb decision.
November 16th, 2018 at 10:57 am
Unless they get someone like Jim Harbaugh in here, Licht is going nowhere. Even then he might remain, because I think the two would get along fine.
The only one really on the Hot Seat is Dirk Koetter, unfortunately.
November 16th, 2018 at 11:34 am
So…in the same thread a fella is declaring “DK to get 2 year extension” to “DK is really on the hot seat”? That’s truly schizophrenic.
November 16th, 2018 at 11:37 am
First off if Koetter goes, Licht should go with him. I think they need to bring in a up and comin ass’t NFL coach. No college coaches.
November 16th, 2018 at 11:38 am
Couple of reasons why Harbaugh would be a surprise.
* Dude finally has things rolling at Michigan. Oh, and job security. And, oh, $7 million a year.
* Harbaugh has a bad rep in NFL circles for how he blew up the 49ers. Harbaugh and Trent Baalke had a terrible relationship to the point Harbaugh would not talk to Baalke. Harbaugh was very hard to work with at the time and very divisive behind the scenes. Owners don’t like that. Was that just a one-time thing? Well, that’s an expensive gamble.
November 16th, 2018 at 11:59 am
its never too late to make history!!!!!….
we get blown out sunday by a team that has only 2wins, dirk will be fired…..
and if dirk was ordered to tank, it will be for the new GM & HC so they will have a talented young QB and a top 5 pick….
there’s no way in hell dirk gets an extension…..lol…..not after not being able to develop winston, poor coaching decisions among other things…..
the only thing dirk has to worry about is does he prefer U-HAUL or Penske
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACH!!!…GO BUCS!!!
November 16th, 2018 at 12:00 pm
fire dirk after the giants game….
KRIS RICHARD 4 HC!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACH!!!…GO BUCS!!!
November 16th, 2018 at 1:56 pm
Duke this is the third year my friend and the team is worse what do you think will change
November 16th, 2018 at 2:44 pm
people wanna keep a guy who refuses to address the weakest point of our team…really….?
November 16th, 2018 at 3:09 pm
Joe,
Jim Harbaugh didn’t seem to have a problem at Stanford or at Michigan. I’d also add that Jim Harbaugh didn’t blow up the 49’ers. The 49’ers blew up after Jim Harbaugh left. Trent Baalky hired Jim Tomsula for 2015 and Chip Kelly for 2016. Neither are HC in the NFL anymore. What was Baalky thinking? Trent Baakly ruined the 49’ers and now he is working for the league not even a team. John Lynch took over as GM in 2017.
Jim Harbaugh should be priority #1…………..He has taken over 4 bad programs and turned them all into winners. USD, Stanford, 49’ers, Michigan. Whether or not the Glazers can afford or persuade him to come to Tampa is another story.
November 16th, 2018 at 7:39 pm
I agree not to delay the inevitable. Personally I lost faith in this team after Atlanta…..Not sure why I held hope after Chicago so please don’t ask why.
Anybody hold hope after the Carolina game, I feel sorry for you……Seem to me our owners fall into this group however. I don not believe they have fully given up on this season. As dumb as it may sound, I don’t blame them.
Crazy things happen in sports all the time. As unlikely as it may sound if we rattle off three wins everybody’s tunes will change, including the players………..Owners might be niave if this is their thinking but at the same time anything is possible. My mom learned me that.
November 16th, 2018 at 8:30 pm
Fireeeeee Licht! Can Koetter!!! Get these clowns outta town!