Well-Plugged In Columnist Floats Bucs Assistant As Possible Coaching Candidate
November 21st, 2025
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. He published a small list of top candidates to fill head coach openings — positions that are both active and will be open in a handful of weeks.
In Breer’s mailbag column, he was asked about under-the-radar candidates who aren’t being spoken about. Breer mentioned Bucs outside linebackers coach Larry Foote.
And Joe can see Breer working. 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. 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.
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 guesses 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.
November 21st, 2025 at 3:50 am
I’m thinking the accomplishments of our outside LB’s THIS year aren’t enhancing his creds
November 21st, 2025 at 5:27 am
After the awful defensive performance by our Bucs v the Bills, in light of six sacks against the same Bills, quarterback Josh Allen, performed by the Houston Texans,isn’t it time to cut ties with Bowles? We had one pressure from the scheme Bowles designed. Yet the Texans took down the same Allen SIX times. Either our defensive game plan is deficient, or player development is poor or our in game adjustments are lacking. In this situation, perhaps all three failures apply.You, Coach Bowles, are a failure. Step down at season end. Spare the fan base more of underachieving performance. You have proven you can not consistently beat decent competition. The game has evolved. You have remained mired in the same quagmire of coaching ineptitude. Hang it up. Adios. Chao. See us. Bye, bye Bowles!!!
November 21st, 2025 at 5:50 am
The Texans actually have pass rushers. Plus they actually rush the passer, none of this dropping back 40 yards into coverage garbage. You’re right, but the Bucs don’t have the horses the Texans do.
November 21st, 2025 at 5:56 am
Spare me the “dump Bowels” horsepoop. As much as I dislike some of his decision-making, particularly in late game situations, we are kind of stuck with him. Although he’s no Dan Cambell, he has the Bucs in a position of being quite successful, with 3 straight NFC South championships and several prime time games each year the Glazer family enjoys solid earnings and increased team value.
November 21st, 2025 at 6:01 am
Larry Foote isn’t even a defensive coordinator, no way is he getting a HC gig. He’s a co defensive coordinator, whatever that is. He doesn’t call the plays on Sundays, not much off a resume. Blame Bowles for not giving him the opportunity to be an actual DC who’s responsible for that side of the ball. Truth is Foote can’t get a coordinator jump in the league, because he’s an anchor tied to one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
November 21st, 2025 at 6:09 am
Hey Joe
Please start a poll on which members of the Buccaneer’s coaching staff deserve to be retained.
November 21st, 2025 at 6:19 am
@upthegut, it was actually 8 sacks according to the official NFL boxscore. And all 8 were from a 4 man rush. Allen when not getting sacked was under massive pressure, again from a 4 man rush. No soft zone bullspit. Just tight man coverage and physical. Complete opposite of what Bowles does with his defense. I agree, its time for Todd to retire.
November 21st, 2025 at 6:52 am
I am with Up the gut, could the Joes do a poll on not just Bowles but also Grizzard, McGaughey and few of the other coaches. For Bowles it could be asked if he should keep his job, keep his job but have to hire a DC or get fired after the season is over (no sense putting getting launched in season, that would never happen with the Glazers). For the other coaches, perhaps it could be the confidence poll we always see for Bowles, confident or very confident = retain, while anything less would mean hot seat, red hot seat or launch this dude yesterday (my vote for McGaughy).
November 21st, 2025 at 7:41 am
Some owners, Joe, some. Blanket statements drive me crazy. The Ford family is as corporate as they come. I don’t think they have a wallflower.
November 21st, 2025 at 8:01 am
Whatever who cares. No way to tell if he is a decent coach or not. Bowles is the DC and has the defense so screwed up it isn’t funny. Then we have extreme value draft pick Licht, who ignored the need for a real edge rusher. Foote probably doesn’t want to be here with this mess.
November 21st, 2025 at 8:22 am
Those guys rushing for the Texans were high draft picks and we all know what you have to do to get those picks. I think the only way we get those guys is by either trading your picks for a young gun that has juice left or with another JPP deal, Shaq signing.
November 21st, 2025 at 8:41 am
Nobody on the defensive coaching tree of Todd Bowles will get a head coaching job.
Bowles wont let anyone call plays. Pretty hard to build a reputation when you’re a position coach.
November 21st, 2025 at 8:42 am
It doesn’t take much to please you, does it, Larry.
November 21st, 2025 at 8:57 am
JV’s for Clearwater HS, his OLBs are terrible. Give me a break!!!
November 21st, 2025 at 9:27 am
Buh bye..
November 21st, 2025 at 11:24 am
JOE’S ; et al….With the recent dismay of Bowles and his “Vaunted ” defense getting exposed weekly and schemes being called out by everyone, including Barber…In hindsight, and with their recent success,would u have promoted Canales or Coen to head coach over Todd?? And if so, whom would u pick? Let’s hear it boys
November 21st, 2025 at 11:25 am
What owner in their right mind would watch Bowles defense and think, “Yeah I need some of that in my life”.
Answer: Not one out there, save for the Glazers.
They are happy as clams to squeak by without ever winning a meaningful game with Bowles as HC.
Proof is in the extension they gave him. The fans simply do not matter to them.
November 21st, 2025 at 11:40 am
OneAndThree. “The fans simply do not matter to them”. Fans like you making remarks about their coach and QB I can promise you simply do not matter to them.
November 21st, 2025 at 12:02 pm
Josh Allen sacked eight times last night. Last week against the Bucs…zero. Tells you everything you need to know about Todd being a defensive genius.
November 21st, 2025 at 12:57 pm
LOL “dismay.”
Joe will only say this: From what Joe understands, the Bucs’ ownership group does not remotely share the same feelings for Bowles as many Bucs fans do.
As for your question, it’s sort of like asking, “If George Patton led the Union forces in the Civil War, would the war have lasted a year?” Patton wasn’t going to lead the Union forces.
November 21st, 2025 at 12:59 pm
ADMIT I WAS WRONG
I thought Coen and Canalis were going to be HC busts (Canalis, especially).
They are killing it.
November 21st, 2025 at 1:02 pm
You could have said the same for Canales. Look where he is now.
Remember Foote has a pretty good resume before Bowles took over.
Don’t discount the corporate model. Corporate guys now run football. The days of Art Rooney doing deals over poker games and George Halas being an owner-coach are long gone.
November 21st, 2025 at 1:19 pm
They should have made Foote the DC.
November 21st, 2025 at 2:32 pm
Joe Says:
“Remember Foote has a pretty good resume before Bowles took over.”
Couldn’t agree more sir. We have found the root of our issues.
Bowles must go, sooner rather than later.
November 21st, 2025 at 3:38 pm
Yes, the Bills lost to the Titans. They played three tough games within less than two weeks, losing two of them. The game they won, they were taken to the mat by the Bucs. We were disappointed wit our performance, but they exhausted themselves, pulling it out in the final quarter on their forbidding home field. Little comfort for us, but it puts some perspective on a game that was much more desperate for the Bills than the Bucs.
As for Bowles’ coaching tree, I would see Thad Lewis as the next branch, maybe after a stint as OC somewhere.
November 21st, 2025 at 3:39 pm
Sorry, Texans, not Titans. Crossed up myT’s.
November 22nd, 2025 at 9:00 am
My vote goes to Carberry. It won’t happen, but atm, he’s the only coach on this team that impresses me
November 22nd, 2025 at 9:37 pm
As long as Tood Blowes is in his double loser position, none of these crapolas matter. Blowes needs to go be a philosopher at Temple. Emeritus designation.
He is a loser.