In what seems to be shocking news coming out of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers have fired coach Lovie Smith in his second season with the team.
Lovie went 8-24 over two seasons with the organization, but turned things around this year with the addition of Jameis Winston as the first pick in last year’s draft, going 6-10 after a disastrous 2-14 record in his first year. The Bucs were in the thick of the playoff hunt for a good portion of the last weeks, losing some crucial games and ultimately failing to earn that Wild Card berth.
Team co-chairman Joel Glazer issued a statement on the firing:
“After careful consideration, we informed Lovie that we have decided to make a change. This decision was difficult on a variety of levels. I am disappointed that we were not more successful these past few seasons, but we are committed to doing what is necessary to give our fans the winning team they deserve. I want to thank Lovie for his hard work and dedication to the Buccaneers during his time here.”
There are plenty of coaching vacancies out in the NFL and we have no doubt Lovie will find a nice landing spot by next year now that the two sides have parted ways.
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