Todd Bowles On Dismissing Several Assistants

March 2nd, 2026

Fully responsible.

The Bucs have had quite the roll over of coaches this offseason.

Many Bucs fans believe there was one coach dismissed too few.

The man who stayed, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, told the local pen and mic club last week at the Indiana Convention Center that it was his call to dismiss former Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis, special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, defensive line coach Charlie Strong and cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross.

Offensive assistant Tom Moore and safeties coach Nick Rapone retired. Strength and conditioning coach Anthony Piroli was also shown the door after the team was absolutely riddled with injuries.

Bowles said those moves were his call.

“It was hard but it was necessary,” Bowles said. “You have to look in the mirror and be truthful with yourself.

“I always try to do that after the season. Start with myself and go to the coaches and then get to the players.”

Later on Tuesday, when Bowles appeared on the “Ira Kaufman Podcast,” Joe asked Bowles point-blank if the coaching moves were ordered from higher up the food chain at One Buc Palace. Absolutely not, Bowles said. His call alone.

Will these changes make a difference? Offensively, probably. Defensively? Well, the guy who runs the defense and calls the defensive plays survived the purge. So we shall see on that side of the ball.

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4 Responses to “Todd Bowles On Dismissing Several Assistants”

  1. garro Says:

    All of the coaches fired make sense to me. the fact that Strong, Ross, and McGaughey, made it this long or were hired in the first place makes Todd look really bad. Thad Lewis was touted as an up and comer if I remember correctly. That is kind of a head scratcher. Either we were fed a line, the touters were wrong, not Robinson’s man? Hope we have done alot better with their replacements.

    Go Bucs!

  2. garro Says:

    Can the new defensive coaches teach our dudes how to tackle?

    Go Bucs!

  3. Tony Says:

    @Garro

    We’d definitely do better every year if it was tackle & touch football. Well maybe.

  4. Rod Munch Says:

    Bowles has a one-year deal at this point, if he doesn’t make the playoffs, he’s done. If he doesn’t win the playoffs, he’s likely done.

    So do whatever you want – just win, or you’re getting fired.

 

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