The Remaking Of Greg Schiano
November 4th, 2014
Greg Schiano now has a lab, sings and hangs out with Chucky, among other hobbies.
As we stand here on Election Day 2014, looking at the pathetic carcass knows as the 1-7, sometimes-totally-hapless Bucs, the days of Greg Schiano as head coach don’t look so bad, do they?
Schiano was ousted in December after a tumultuous season that saw MRSA poison his locker room and kill the career of his All-Pro left guard while his franchise quarterback went mental.
Oh, Schiano is still around.
In the background. He lives in south Tampa and is a volunteer coach at a local high school, just like what Chucky did when he left the Bucs.
In a behind-the-scenes story for theMMQB.com, Pete Thamel has a fascinating feature on what Schiano is doing as he works most of his days to better himself as a coach and prepare to return to the coaching ranks — college or the NFL. Among the highlights Joe pulled from the feature:
* Schiano has a white lab named “Fumble.”
* Schiano often sings aloud the lyrics to Chili Peppers tunes.
* Is a fan of Beverly Hills 90120 (personally, Joe was very much a fan of Jennie Garth).
* Owns 30 pairs of khaki shorts.
* Constantly visits college football programs to gain ideas how to improve as a coach, from big programs like Alabama, Ohio State and Arkansas to lesser programs like Princeton.
* Often meets with Chucky in the wee hours of the morning for intense brainstorming sessions of Xs and Os.
* Claims he does not follow the Bucs.
* Spends a lot of time trying to learn how Pete Carroll, after being fired twice, learned to reinvent himself as a coach.
With so much time for reflection, Schiano admits he too often turned a deaf ear to players and may have treated them too harshly. That backfired; in retrospect, he stated he was a “jerk.” While Schiano claims he loosened up his second year with the Bucs, it was too late to mend fences.
At the end of Schiano’s first season in Tampa Bay, he gave all the players surveys. They could fill them out anonymously or attach their name to them. The blunt feedback prompted Schiano to change radically from his first season to the next. Schiano arrived in Tampa under direction from ownership to instill discipline in a franchise that had become too loose under Raheem Morris. In his quest to do that, Schiano admits that he didn’t make some of the necessary adjustments needed when coaching professional athletes as opposed to college kids.
In his first year, Schiano began every meeting with a support staff member taking attendance of every player by calling out his number. One of the players wrote on his survey: “I felt like I was going from cell block to cell block.” Another player chafed at the mandatory meals—a college staple—saying he’d rather have breakfast with his family. So before his second season, Schiano ditched the roll call and made pregame meal the only mandatory one.
But Schiano doesn’t feel like the reality of the 2013 season outlasted the reputation from 2012. “You know the saying, You get the reputation for being an early riser, you can sleep till noon,” he says. “Well it goes the other way too. If you get a reputation for being a jerk, no matter how well you treat the players…”
Schiano made mistakes. He made a lot of them, but like with everything else, when you step back for a while with a different perspective, he wasn’t as bad as many made him out to be this time last year.
It is pretty clear from the feature that Schiano is driven to get back into coaching.
That may just happen as soon as next month when jobs in college start popping open. Joe sure wishes the best for Schiano. It seems that with the Bucs, he was a good guy caught in an impossible situation.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Yup, i liked him. Too Bad Tampa whimped out on him. Bowers, Mccoy, etc..
November 4th, 2014 at 1:07 pm
Keep him away from the Gators. Otherwise I really don’t care, at all, where he goes.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:08 pm
LMAO, Arkansas a big program. Worst program in the SEC for two years running.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:10 pm
It’s an SEC program with a rich history (national titles, Orange Bowls, Sugar Bowls, etc), isn’t it? What, TCU is a bigger program?
November 4th, 2014 at 1:10 pm
Sounds like he’s trying to adapt to make himself a better coach going forward. Lovie would be wise to take a similar approach although I doubt it.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:11 pm
I wanted to like him. I was onboard until the comment about ditching something that was working because it wasn’t what they practiced. After that I checked out on Schiano. Hope he learned from it and does better next time. He needed to go from here though.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:12 pm
Though his fate was already sealed by that point, it just reinforced Team Glazer’s decision. That was as dumb as Chucky saying he couldn’t get Antonio Bryant and Joey Galloway on the field at the same time.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:13 pm
He isn’t adapting, he’s rebranding. Remember, one of the reasons the Glazers canned him was they “didn’t like the environment”. That was after year 2.
This is a PR piece. That’s it.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:16 pm
I think he has learned the hard way how the NFL operates, he’ll be coaching again.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:16 pm
With all his free time, Schiano should buy that fixer upper flop house on Bayshore that will be for sale shortly via one Josh Freeman. How ironic would that be?
November 4th, 2014 at 1:17 pm
Sure Arkansas may have a rich history, but what school doesn’t. I’m just saying, I wouldn’t go to a 2 win college school to get ideas. Go to the ones that have adapted and have changed and see what they have done that is making them so successful.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:18 pm
The reason why most of us disliked him had a lot to do with him ruining Josh Freeman, allegedly leaking his medical records, fixing the captain voting process, creating a stress full environment… basically being a jerk yeah.
So I say good riddance to Schiano. He ruined all of the progress Raheem Morris made with the team, which had to be rebuilt because of Jon Gruden’s destruction of Tony Dungy’s Super Bowl franchise.
Also, since Schiano drafted Glennon, we dislike Glennon too. He will never fit in on our ball club, no matter what.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:19 pm
Joe!
Thanks for the love!! Any chance you can get the Big Poodle to join the thought process!
The mandate from ownership was tough, but the really hard part was the lack of NFL experience! I have no idea how a coach is supposed to see the MRSA deal coming and what do you do when the wife (QB1) goes mental!
Overall, it was a great experience. A long term marriage is very similar….learning to think very clearly about what you are going to say before you let your mouth overload your arse is a tough thing to learn.
Very few people in the NFL are forgiving. Again, look at Tebow and the fact that he willed the Broncos into the playoffs and throws the game winning TD in overtime to beat the Steelers. Kyle Orton is still in the league and is now starting. He could not buy a win in Denver.
So many of the QB’s that in college and the NFL could not match Tebows achievements on the field are still in the NFL playing.
I will get another chance to coach….and I am sure I will make a large number of mistakes…but they will be new mistakes! Pete Carroll did not reinvent himself…he just didn’t make the same mistake twice. Each coaching position he earned helped him learn to make new mistakes and learn from those.
The amazing issue is Radio Raheem went right to a job as a Coach and I am still looking. I made some mistakes, but I had a better record that Lovie. The Big Poodle states Lovie should get 3 years guaranteed even if the Bucs go 1-15! I thought he was an NFL legend…taken the Bears to the Super Bowl. I made stupid mistakes because it was my first every job as a NFL HC. I did not read the book “NFL Coaching for Dummies” that Chuckie gave me on my first day!
The problem is, what is Lovie’s excuse? No MRSA, No QB1 meltdown except for the QB of his choice being horrible, and no idiot rookie NFL Coaching mistakes.
2014 is Lovie’s best shot after a year of preparation and more than 20 years of NFL Coaching experience at different levels. I don’t care how many times the Big Poodle tells you Lovie will get better….this is the best that Lovie has got! Twenty years of NFL experience and he STOPPED POUNDIN THE ROCK on Sunday??
Greg Schiano
November 4th, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Joe will you ask your co-host today on the show, what the difference between what Joe Maddon did in Chicago, and when Lovie interviewed for Coach Schiano’s job well before he was fired???
November 4th, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Lovie is helping raise schiano’s stock.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:24 pm
At 0-8 last season I was @RayJay…I’ve never seen so much hatred for a person in my life. You could even feel it in the atmosphere, it was everywhere you turned.
It was like 20,000 Buc fans against 1 man. Fans took things over the top. That was the game I took my “This Sucks” sign to the game. A few people said to me it should read Schiano Sucks. I said that’s just not right and I won’t do that. Besides there was more than enough people with doctored up Fire the Cannons signs taking out the words the and cannons, then replaced them with Schiano reading Fire Schiano.
Never been in a place where I saw so much hatred towards one man in my life. That’s anywhere and not just inside a football stadium.
It was pure hatred in it’s rawest of form. You would of thought he shot the Pope or something. I hated that game for that reason. I hollered towards the sideline myself saying “Schiano you f-ing suck ass”.
After the game on the drive home I actually felt bad for the guy.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:25 pm
Schiano was his own worst enemy but I always felt he was doomed from the beginning just because of the circumstances surrounding his hiring. Jilted by Chip Kelly, the Bucs hired Schiano way too late in the year to get any sort of competent coaching staff so they went with quantity of coaches over quality. Even still, he went 7-9 the first year breaking offensive records and probably might have finished with a winning record if Freeman hadn’t gone all interception-happy the last third of the season. I hope he gets another chance and is able to pull a Pete Carroll or Bill Belecheat. It just won’t be here.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:27 pm
@Joe you were at the game too of course.
Did you feel the hatred too? It WAS like it was in the air. Like we were breathing hatred from the start of the game. It was such an odd game.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
I really didn’t know whether to like Schiano or not. I definitely didn’t like the product that I was seeing on the field and I felt they had enough talent to perform better than what I was seeing but he just didn’t seem to be getting thru to his team. As a coach you have to have a liability factor or a proven track record of success in order to gain the respect of your players and make them willing to jump thru a wall for you. I didn’t get that vibe from the team when Schiano was running the show.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
He is in the perfect position – High School football coach! Nuff said!
November 4th, 2014 at 1:40 pm
Does Berkeley Prep need another volunteer assistant? If so, I nominate the Savior Lovie. His “no cussing” would probably go over better at the high school level anyway.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:40 pm
While we are contemplating where Schiano will go from here, let’s thing about that for the team.
The Bucs were very aggressive in FA last year and went after most of the better free agents…most of which have bombed in their first 8 games. Where to go from here?
More FA’s next year? Roster purge?
The Buc’s cap figure next year is at $107 million. That’s probably 33 mil under the cap. They also could cut 11 players, saving 45 mil, but take on 18.8 dead money. If, on the other hand, they cut Mankins, McCown, Verner, EDS, Koenen, McDonald and Myers, they would add 29 million to their cap and not lose a penny to dead money…..just saying.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:40 pm
If The Buc’s don’t win another game all year then guess what. They’re worse off than they were a year ago. Schiano’s teams hung tough and played competitive even after starting 0-8. How tough will Lovie have his team playing being out of it at 1-7? Let’s see. Somehow Lovie’s defense isn’t working. Players aren’t catching on. Apparently all the “teachers” Lovie hired last January aren’t doing a very good job of teaching. Either that or the defense is dumb as rocks. Sure they played better the last two games but against Minnesota and Cleveland I’m hardly impressed. How about the offense. You build an offense with a QB and an O-line then add playmakers which Lovie did backwards. He drafted playmakers and attempted to patch together an O-line and when that didn’t work he traded a fourth round pick for Mankins who has gave a half ass effort so far. Then of course there’s starting McCown the first three games of the season who, as I predicted, looked like the journeyman bust he always has and not the glorified backup he looked like for five games last year. Not starting Glennon from the start might be the biggest damnation of his job in Tampa thus far. If he thought Glennon wasn’t good enough to start then he should’ve drafted a QB. After all there were more potential QB’s in this class than I can ever remember there being in the past. I’m not buying all this future QB garbage. Lovie saw Glennon as nothing more than a backup, which may be true, But Josh McCown was not not NOT the answer and may the worst move Lovie made so far and I’m not just going to give him a pass. He has to make it right.
So are we better off than we were a year ago? Hell no! The coaching sucks just like last year except we appear to be mentally weaker now. I was so excited when we brought Lovie in last January. I didn’t think a coach with his pedigree would get so much wrong. It’s unexcusable. If Schiano with little experience got fired after going 4-12 while playing hard in December then Lovie with loads of experience should get fired after going 1-15 or 2-14. They play Atlanta at home then play Washington but after that I don’t see any potential wins. Hell, Lovie would be really lucky to finish 4-12.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:42 pm
I initially respected the discipline that Schiano brought but after the constant losing and college atmosphere – along with the other drama that should have been bottlenecked, I lost my desire to support him.
I am sure he doesn’t need a pity party or sorrow from us because he and his family are WELL taken care of.
Professionally speaking – I hope that he has the opportunity to redeem his reputation that was good not great before he came here. For some reason the Bucs organization has been toxic to careers and I don’t like it. There is nothing better than self-evaluation and making strides to improve yourself. At least he is doing that and investing in himself.
As for the Bucs –
Glazer boys have a lot to prove for their tenure of oversight of their father’s baby. I do realize people do not always value things the same but for the sake of their dad and what he meant to the city they should really re-eval what they’re contributing to the worst franchise in the NFL.
Lovie is not on the fast track for success in here and if he bomb out he could be committing career suicide if he goes 1 – 15 and have another losing season next year. I thought the Bucs should have traded back up for Derek Carr to be the QB of the future but they will get one more stab at it and lets see what they do with it. If they marry Glennon and or McCown then they are dead men walking.
The quicker they identify players that don’t want to win and remove them the better they are and draft a real franchise QB.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:44 pm
Unfortunately for us Buc fans, the grass is much browner on this side of the fence. #FireLovie
November 4th, 2014 at 1:46 pm
Famous Jameis or Bust Says:
November 4th, 2014 at 1:18 pm
The reason why most of us disliked him had a lot to do with him ruining Josh Freeman, allegedly leaking his medical records,
_____________________________________________________________
The NFLPA investigation never coming out strongly suggests (it doesn’t even suggest, it clearly shows) Josh Freeman and his agent were behind all of that crap. You’ll also notice Freeman has effectively been blacklisted from the league for trying to do it. Freeman ruined Freeman, period.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:47 pm
Largo said:
” Schiano’s teams hung tough and played competitive even after starting 0-8. How tough will Lovie have his team playing being out of it at 1-7? Let’s see. Somehow Lovie’s defense isn’t working. Players aren’t catching on.”
No that’s inaccurate. Schiano defense got embarrassed and up-ended frequently, gave up repeated big plays, and lacked pass rush (same issues). Also Schiano teams quitted on him too, see both Carolina games, Tampa in NO last year, NE game, SF, and others. So, same personnel, same issues.
November 4th, 2014 at 1:56 pm
Architek…I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with you but you just named 4 powerhouse teams…not exactly good examples of quitting. It could be that those teams were all just a lot better than ours, seeing how they all made the playoffs last season.
November 4th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Schiano never had a chance from the beginning. The media made sure of that. From the stories of pissed off NFL recruiters to the V-formation drama, Schiano never got a fair shake from the very beginning. Remember the replacement referee who went on live TV and was baited to say that Schiano was clearly only a college coach after the (what we found out later was legal) line shift during a blocked punt.
Every Schiano detractor just piled on. It seemed week after week there was some new drama being invented, exploited, or manipulated, and Joe was not complicit during the whole takedown. In fact, Joe was guilty himself. Just like Joe is guilty of possibly starting a “fire Lovie” movement with his unflattering polls and finger pointing articles. I know, I know ..bad news and drama sell. But there has to come a point, if you truly are a Buc fan, to stop exacerbating controversy. This team will never heal if we don’t let it.
This is so silly, even more so because you believe it. Schiano went 7-9 in his first season and did a lot of very good things. There was a lot of excitement here about what Year 2 would bring with Revis and big-time free agents and Nicks and Joseph returning. Joe didn’t go 0-8 and dance like a ballerina on the defensive line. Schiano did. –Joe
November 4th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
0-8 last year.
1-7 this year.
Not much has changed….
November 4th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Architek
In two years Schiano never got embarrassed the way Lovie did twice in six weeks. I guess if Lovie goes 0-8 the second half you could make the argument that Schiano played more pushovers last yeatr such as Buffalo, an injured Falcon team, Miami after the whole bullying thing. I guess I just expected a lot more from Lovie.
November 4th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
It’s too bad Schiano came in too heavy handed in his first year. He should’ve known there would be a different player/coach dynamic in the NFL. He spent a few years in the league as an assistant before Rutgers, so he could’ve drawn on that experience.
Ultimately it all goes back to the Glazers. They’re the common denominator for the several years of futility.
November 4th, 2014 at 2:10 pm
I wasn’t one that called for his firing. I thought another year was deserved.But I never defended him either. I don’t know enough about football.
November 4th, 2014 at 2:18 pm
schiano looks more and more credible every week. Lovie is making schiano look like lombardi.
November 4th, 2014 at 2:25 pm
Sociopath Schiano…
even though I cant stand what Lovie is doing right now, FU(K GREG SCHIANO!
November 4th, 2014 at 2:35 pm
Our failures are the result of too much staff turnover. Players cannot succeed with different systems being installed every year or two. We need some competent stability. Lovie has won in the NFL and is the best fit for Tampa.
November 4th, 2014 at 2:40 pm
Buc1987ForJameis Says:
November 4th, 2014 at 1:56 pm
Architek…I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with you but you just named 4 powerhouse teams…not exactly good examples of quitting. It could be that those teams were all just a lot better than ours, seeing how they all made the playoffs last season.
——————-
Sure thing – by definition yes you are correct but as you stated it’s the hatred and resentment that the players had for him and the scheme that I am speaking of. I saw many other games where people gave a half ass effort, out-coached, and just simply not prepared. NO was not a powerhouse and that game in Tampa was the perfect example – you have a Revis at 65% is waaaay better than Leonard Johnson covering Colston. Stuff like that and the Giants debacle and the Falcons embarrassment and more. The scheme was collegiate overall and didn’t translate to the NFL.
I know he was not blown out like Lovie was but it’s all semantics we sucked just as bad and had piss poor drafts as well.
It appears that Lovie is just a polished turd through 8 games.
November 4th, 2014 at 2:41 pm
LargoBuc Says:
November 4th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Architek
In two years Schiano never got embarrassed the way Lovie did twice in six weeks. I guess if Lovie goes 0-8 the second half you could make the argument that Schiano played more pushovers last yeatr such as Buffalo, an injured Falcon team, Miami after the whole bullying thing. I guess I just expected a lot more from Lovie.
——————————-
Absolute and nothing but the truth!!!
November 4th, 2014 at 2:53 pm
It was really a good article. I hope he learns from his mistakes. Belichick and Pete Carroll started out as bums and turned into geniuses, so it can be done.
November 4th, 2014 at 3:01 pm
I actually miss the guy.
That’s pretty hard to do.
November 4th, 2014 at 3:02 pm
It became cool to hate Schiano. All the silly fans didn’t like their “heroes” being made to act like responsible adults.
When you think about what a wacko they had in Freeman, and then having no choice but to start a rookie third-round pick, it’s kind of amazing in retrospect that they managed to go 4-4 after that 0-8 start. Takes fortitude.
As for the crazy stunts on the defensive line, we’ve arguably improved in talent on paper and we’re even worse than last year. So maybe we should be stunt-crazy now?
I’d laugh at all the Schiano-haters in this area if he ended up at USF.
November 4th, 2014 at 3:12 pm
have the buc’s bring him back as a OC
or for that matter a DC..
GM
just get rid of lovie
November 4th, 2014 at 3:14 pm
take EP with you
November 4th, 2014 at 3:31 pm
Bucs were 0-8 this time last year under Schiano with nearly all of the losses being blowouts. The Bucs are 1-7 now with only 2 games not coming down to the last drive. Sorry, it’s ugly, but it’s progress. A team should not be as bad as Schiano’s in the guy’s 2nd year as coach.
November 4th, 2014 at 3:50 pm
Once a D-Bag always a D-Bag. Schiano is reflective after being forced out with pay. This is a PR puff piece for future potential high school and or D-2 interviews. I don’t wish this idiot on any program.
November 4th, 2014 at 4:07 pm
Brandon continues to neglect the Bucs lost 3 of their first 4 games last year inside the final minute, twice at the gun. He also ignores that if Ben hit Antonio Brown in the 4th on the long TD, the Steelers probably win by 20 and the Bucs are 0-8. This year is at best equally bad as last year, until you remember the guy many here touted would have us a top 10 defense on his name alone has one of the worst defenses in recent history, and then this season is undeniably worse than last.
November 4th, 2014 at 4:11 pm
Hey Coach Schiano, Lovie has some basement space available.
November 4th, 2014 at 4:14 pm
I’m glad he is gone. I don’t wish him wrong. I’m just glad he is gone.
I’m still enjoying this season more than last!
In Lovie I TRUST!
November 4th, 2014 at 4:45 pm
too much was made of his relationship, or lack thereof, with his players. what killed him here is the same thing that killed his predecessor and might kill lovie smith. most sundays, it was clear which coaching staff had done a better job of getting their players ready and which staff did a better job responding to what was going on during the game. and it was never our staff. Schiano can get player management down to a tee, but unless he delegates to strong coordinators or changes his ideas on how to compete and win games in 2014, he will not be following in Pete Carroll’s footsteps going from “retread” to coaching champions
November 4th, 2014 at 4:52 pm
any attempt to paint last year as a bigger failure than this year up to this point comes down to the percieved likeability gap between lovie and schiano. as stated above, i’m no advocate of Greg’s coaching prowess. however, the bucs of last year were more competitive vs better teams under more difficult circumstances through 8 games. sadly, it’s a close call, but this year is the bigger turd through 9 weeks despite the fluke win
November 4th, 2014 at 4:59 pm
tampa specializes in nfl personnel with no talent, who cares what schiano is doing, he needs to learn how to coach on sundays and how to talk to grown men
November 4th, 2014 at 5:02 pm
I liked Schiano and felt he had what it takes to turn the Bucs into a winning team. I did’nt like it when he was fired. I would trade Lovie straight up right now for Schiano to return to the Bucs. He is a better coach than Lovie.
November 4th, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Well, he did have a much better first season than Lovie currently is.
November 4th, 2014 at 6:26 pm
Both have failed it does not matter who is better, 1-7 vs 0-8. The organization as a whole has failed for quite a few years. Schaino at least had a QB for one year that could move the ball and put up points. His defense was alwful that’s why we imploded in his first year. In the 2nd year his defense played a little better and the offense tanked. Lovie to this point was wrong with either QB who has started this year. At least Lovie has had success at various stops in various roles in the NFL, Greg has not.
Maybe Schiano realizes his mistakes and gets better good for him, to late for the Bucs though. My questions are what happened to his reported advisor position for Bill B in New England? Why couldn’t he find ANY job anywhere on the defensive side of the ball college or the pros this year? He was fired right after the season ended basically.
November 4th, 2014 at 7:03 pm
Bill B would have hired him in a second but Schiano already stated he was going to take time off and he didnt want to move from Tampa this yearbut is open to moving next year…
November 4th, 2014 at 7:06 pm
@ patricksbuc
My guess would be (1) tough to get another NFL HC job after the way things ended in Tampa. Time (and Lovie’s debacle) are Schiano’s friend in the healing all wounds department, and (2) ($)3 million reasons not to take a pay cut and drag the family somewhere else again
November 4th, 2014 at 7:17 pm
@ buc1987
The hatred is getting bad for mclovie. I can’t remember when I’ve seen such pathetic free agent signings in one year.
November 4th, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Plus Schiano doesn’t get paid his fired money if he takes another job. Who wouldn’t sit around and get paid for nothing?
November 4th, 2014 at 8:59 pm
USF!
November 4th, 2014 at 9:11 pm
Schiano > Lovie.
November 4th, 2014 at 9:41 pm
I liked him and i didnt like him. But now we see why he did what he did. It turns out it was necessary for him to run those stunts. He himself said he couldnt run the defense the way he wanted. But we didnt listen. I can now say i miss Schiano
November 5th, 2014 at 5:47 am
I thought things were really starting to come together during the second half of last season. Glennon is a franchise Quarterback. I had hoped they’d let Shiano have another season.