It’s time for a new regime in Tampa Bay, as the Buccaneers have locked down Lovie Smith to take over at head coach. The Bucs were rumored to have him locked in as their number 1 candidate after firing Greg Schiano on “Black Monday.” This is a return to Tampa for Lovie, where he served as a coordinator under Tony Dungy, before he became the head coach of the Bears and eventually took them to a Super Bowl.
Inking Lovie to a 4-year deal for about $5 million each year puts both him and the Bucs in a great situation to succeed immediately. The Bucs have one of the more intriguing offenses in the league, with young QB Mike Glennon looking very promising in his first season. They also have a number of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball that will benefit from Lovie bringing over the storied “Tampa-2” defense that he employs.
According to reports though, the possible odd man out could be star DB Darrell Revis, who is more suited for a man-to-man defensive scheme rather than zone.
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Depending on what the Bucs do in the draft this year, it seems that they are set up for success right away with the pieces they already have. Especially since it is being reported that Lovie is bringing along Jeff Tedford and Rod Marinelli to be the offensive and defensive coordinators. Tampa Bay has had a solid squad for a few years now, but it was always the coaching staff that lacked.
Hopefully with Lovie Smith at the helm, they turn the team around and may a run for the playoffs come next season.
Bucs make it official, announce they've hired Lovie Smith as their HC. Five-year deal, with team option after four years.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 2, 2014