Future head coach?

This doesn’t really mean a whole lot. But Joe can see how and why this Bucs assistant coach had his name floated as a potential head coaching candidate.

You know we are approaching the holiday season if more and more articles on national sites are running coaching carousel stories. And Albert Breer of SI.com is no different.

Apparently, Breer put out a small list of top candidates to fill head coach openings that are both active and will be available in a few weeks.

In Breer’s mailbag column this week, Breer was asked about some under-the-radar candidates who aren’t being spoken about. Breer mentioned Bucs outside linebackers coach Larry Foote.

And Joe can see Breer working here. Joe’s not saying Foote is a top candidate, but Joe can easily see how a team would be interested in Foote.

Remember when David Tepper hired Dave Canales? A lot of Bucs fans scoffed at the idea. Joe easily read the tea leaves. Why? Canales is the perfect corporate coach.

In the 21st Century, NFL owners don’t like outspoken coaches. They want guys who recite soft, corporate-scrubbed, clean quotes. They like guys representing their teams who have the-look. The corporate look.

Foote is sort of like a defensive version of Canales, perhaps with a better resume. Just like Canales, the sun is always shining in Foote’s world. He’s very much a positive reinforcer as a coach.

Unlike Canales, Foote won a Super Bowl playing for both Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. Like Canales, Foote got a ring as an assistant coach —  with Bucco Bruce Arians here in Tampa.

So Joe is going to guess Foote has an idea what it takes to build a winner.

Does Joe expect Foote to get hired as a head coach this winter? No. Would it surprise Joe if a team did hire Foote as a head coach? Absolutely not.