Mike LaFleur And The Bucs
January 3rd, 2026
Top target to replace Todd Bowles?
Is it too soon to talk coaching change for Tampa Bay?
Of course not! Bucs fans everywhere are buzzing about who will take over the Bucs after the 2025 season is officially flushed down the toilet.
Joe actually went to a Bucs-sponsored community partner event this week to talk to several random fans.
Team Glazer might have learned a lot hearing what those fans had to say.
The Bucs’ regular season finale is this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. against Carolina at The Licht House, but most serious Bucs fans would applaud Todd Bowles being launched right now.
Joe is not saying fans wish bad things for Bowles; they’re just ready for a coach for whom players respond. Bowles used to be that guy.
If the Bucs win today, they’ll raise their record to 8-9 — and then start hoping the slimy Saints beat the Falcons in Atlanta tomorrow. That combination of happenings would put the Bucs in the playoffs. If the Bucs lose today, well, then the season is over.
Joe wrote about how Ravens offensive coordinator and former Bucs playcaller Todd Monken could be a fit to replace Bowles. But Joe thinks the Bucs would be much more interested in a young playcaller — preferably one from the Sean McVay tree.
Enter Mike LaFleur, the Rams offensive coordinator for the past three years. He’s the younger brother of successful Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, another former Rams offensive coordinator.
The younger LaFleur turns 39 in March and has won the heart of his boss.
“Mike could call plays here and shoot, maybe he will,” McVay said recently, as reported by SI.com. “He does a great job. I can’t say enough about Mike and our offensive staff.
“Mike sets up all the game plans, does a great job with the installations. He’s got a great presence in front of the room. He’s got a great ability to be able to communicate to connect. He’s a great listener so that he can really understand.”
McVay went on to talk about how well LaFleur works with assistants and how much he’s made of opportunities throughout his career.
“He can go as far as he wants; he’ll break my heart like everybody else and end up leaving me,” McVay said. “But no, I love what Mike’s done, all kidding aside. He’s absolutely more than capable of [calling plays] right now at a very high level. There would be zero hesitation if he did that for us at some point.”
LaFleur does have playcaller experience with the bumbling Jets in 2021 and 2022. He arrived in New York following four years learning under Kyle Shanahan with the 49ers.
So is LaFleur the next Liam Coen?
McVay has a relationship with Ira Kaufman, the esteemed JoeBucsFan.com columnist. Joe was alongside Kaufman and McVay at the 2024 NFL owners meetings when Kaufman asked McVay to tell him the inside scoop about Coen, who had just been hired to call plays for the Bucs.
McVay’s answer was off-the-record, but if McVay has the same assessment for LaFleur as he did for Coen, the Bucs would probably be wise to put LaFleur on their short list.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:50 am
Mike Lafleur has moved up to 2nd on my list…..
I feel he would make a solid HC but he is surrounded by talent…
Klint Kubiak has done an amazing job with little talent and made Darnold look like a talent at qb…
Make Klint Bucs next HC.. His dad has been NFL HC twice so Klint can draw from him… Gary surely has experience in many things he should have done differently… those who can’t teach…. Make Gary an adviser and let Klint bring in his brothers so they all have a bigger pool of coaches to pull from….
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:51 am
So…he doesn’t call plays???
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:55 am
Jason Licht needs to go as well.
He signed Teddy, Reddick and Godwin. Did nothing at the TDL.
JL is living off of Brady’s years here. ANother passenger. DUMP EM ALL!!!!!
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:58 am
Listen , all jokes aside
I have watched almost every game of every season since the late 80’s early 90’s . Without getting into x’s & O’s about the last 3 or 4 years I will say this . What the he’ll are we watching here ? There is little to no fight in this team . Toilet Bowles time in tampa is over . He did a good job getting his guys ready to put the smack down on pat mahomes in the super bowl and that’s it . Thanks for that but this team is some of the worst I have ever seen on defense. It’s been like that for at least the last 2 years . They don’t get off the field on 3rd downs , or 4th downs ! They do not create plays or turnovers , the coaches are not creative & there is no gang tackling ever ! The gang tackling is see is they gang miss tackle almost every game . There needs to be change as the creative coach we had walked out the door to Jax.
January 3rd, 2026 at 9:58 am
When Mike Lafluer was the OC for the Jets, there offense was a train wreck, pass. This team needs a complete kick in the as*. Go get Brian Flores.
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:05 am
I like the Rams DC, Monken & Flores
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:07 am
This would be my pic for the next head coach.
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:08 am
In my opinion, the best and first option is Matt Nagy, the current OC of the Kansas City Chiefs.
2016 KC OC: 12-4
2017 KC OC: 10-6
2018 Bears HC: 12-4
2019 Bears HC: 8-8
2020 Bears HC: 8-8
2023 KC OC: 11-6
2024 KC OC: 15-2
2025 KC OC: 6-10 (so far)
The Chiefs have severe cap issues and health problems. Several players are on the verge of retirement. Bad defense too.
This year would be Nagu’s first losing season as an OC or head coach.
He’s accustomed to winning.
While Andy Reid (KC HC) is unlikely to get fired, the Bucs can approach Matt Nagy.
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:10 am
No, if the chiefs are dumb enough to fire Reid, we should go after him!
Also a chance Reid retires so Nagy can be promoted.
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:10 am
Please excuse my spelling errors.
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:11 am
Just looking at this pic of him screaming -actually showing excitement and emotion- is a vast improvement over our current staff.
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:13 am
Gruden is my solution super bowl coach perfect for o cord position and bill Belichick at head coach this team with a good draft few free agents and trade or 2 could be next tier very quickly we gave bowles the keys to Lamborghini and crashed it.. always has an excuse never results
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:13 am
Flores??? He was a mess in Miami
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:16 am
Joe, I get the sense that you have given this more thoughts to fleshing out a futur3 coach than Licht. Hopefully, one of these candidates you’ve written about has an assistant dial up Jason when the Glazers inevitably force his hand to get rid of Todd.
Or just get r8d of Jason and let a proactive GM take the reigns and lead this team into the future, instead of just rummaging in the proverbial draft bush for tweeters and converted OL
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:17 am
Tweener, but tweeter works too*
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:31 am
“Is it too soon to talk coaching change for Tampa Bay?”
Is it too soon for the Joe’s to start talking about hosting a draft party?” I’m in!
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:35 am
Flores? BIG red flag… (remember 2022)
Tampa DOESN’T need that distraction!
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:50 am
Brian Flores HC & Nate Scheelhaase OC
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:54 am
Couldn’t be worse than current offensive offense.
Jason Licht erred mightily by not doing something about 3rd string guards getting Baker clobbered repeatedly, but Mr Licht’s has earned my trust.
As far as edge rush goes, that’s not on Licht either. As Joe has pointed out in Rainman cadence, Coach Bowles + Bowles defensive coaches have never once drafted and developed a bona fide pass rusher.
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:55 am
Wow it appears Joe you have Bowles dead and buried and we are awaiting the funeral service announcement. Maybe you know more than us. However, while not a total Bowles detractor, I get itThere is plenty of blame to go around and Bowles deserves a fair amount. I agree the defense is flat hard to watch. I often don’t turn on the game and wait til it is over. Yes the 3rd and 28 did it for me.
With all that said , change must happen and a new coach inevitable.
At this point.
Yes I like The Rams OC, Salah and Monkin would all be great pics. That is assuming they get along with Licht, because we know he is not going anywhere. However,Make no mistake he deserves a good amount of blame because he did nothing to improve this defense at the trade deadline and before the season started. Licht along with the new coach need to get real aggressive with shoring up this defense in free agency. We have seen Licht’s draft pics for edge rushers and defensive lineman has been poor at best.
Be care what you wish for in a new coach because we saw what happened after Gruden was fired
January 3rd, 2026 at 11:07 am
NO MORE DINOSAURS
January 3rd, 2026 at 11:08 am
Again with these idiots calling for Jason’s head. Could you get any dumber
January 3rd, 2026 at 11:13 am
Football, “Be care what you wish for in a new coach because we saw what happened after Gruden was fired”
Was it any worse than we have got now? Of course not. Somebody off the street could be better.
When you said Laflour, you had me when you said he spent 4 years with Shanahan. As a contrast with the 49rs this year, Tampa had fewer injuries than SF. Yet, the 49rs are playing for top seed while we watch the Falcons win the title IF WE BEAT CAROLINA! Otherwise we close the season today.
What a great setup! Lose today or watch the Falcons win it tomorrow. Meanwhile, did I mention the 49rs play for the top seed. Laflour (or somebody) can’t come soon enough.
January 3rd, 2026 at 11:29 am
Yes, please! Or Klint Kubiak. I’ll take either!
January 3rd, 2026 at 11:58 am
Tye Says:
January 3rd, 2026 at 10:35 am
Flores? BIG red flag… (remember 2022)
Tampa DOESN’T need that distraction!
Calling Flores a ‘distraction’ is lazy. The only thing that happened in 2022 was he stood up to bad ownership and a broken system. That’s leadership, not drama. Tampa doesn’t need quiet — it needs accountability and a coach players respect.”
January 3rd, 2026 at 12:23 pm
Flores got a bad deal in Miami. It started with taking tua. He wanted Justin Herbert. He was correct. There are other choices on the offensive side of the ball, but Flores is a very good DC. Head coach? Who knows.
January 3rd, 2026 at 12:35 pm
coen seems terrific over there in wacksonville, but we don’t usually review a player for real assessment until after year 3…so i think we have to review coen after next season…
what if this season was his one hit wonder…
look at bucky this year…can’t even get a ball cap onto his noggin properly…
look at daniels in washington…he wasn’t full of mastery before the injury…
look at the young houston qb in year 2, after his amazing rookie year…
and the list goes on…
do i think losing coen was bad…?….yeah real bad…he’s good…
but let’s see an actual body of nfl work before anointing him the greatest thing since knute rockne…
if he wins the superbowl this year, i will eat crow
January 3rd, 2026 at 12:40 pm
Dolphins are a bad organization. Flores defense is always good. Still rather have an offense minded HC.
January 3rd, 2026 at 12:51 pm
Need a young, up and coming OC. LaFleur and Kubrick fit the bill.
January 3rd, 2026 at 1:31 pm
Captain Fear & Bucco Bruce could probably do better right now.
January 3rd, 2026 at 2:02 pm
With his success and tutelage in LA, the family pedigree at 39 years old. He should definitely get an interview after this weekend! Can’t wait to see what happens. Go Bucs!
January 3rd, 2026 at 2:33 pm
Easy criteria –
No retreads and no defensive head coaches.
January 3rd, 2026 at 3:44 pm
Now this is a hire. Lots of talk on Kubiac — I’m more concerned about what he didn’t do at the Saints than what he’s doing at the Seahawks.
January 3rd, 2026 at 4:45 pm
The only time he’s called an offense it was two years of the one of the worst offenses in modern history.
Why do people want this guy? Because he’s been in the room with McVay?
Kubiak or Monken if you want an offensive playcalling guy..