Lovie Smith would hire Jeff Tedford as his offensive coordinator, other strong staffers
Lovie Smith during the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Lovie Smith is one of the top head coaching candidates currently on the market, and he has been a part of some strong “Black Monday” rumors, particularly as they pertain to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to multiple reports, Smith is the favorite to replace Greg Schiano as the Buccaneers next head coach, and the Tampa Bay Times’s Rick Stroud reported earlier today that Smith has high interest in the Bucs opening. It seems like a perfect match, especially since Smith can bring some much-needed credibility to an organization that has been in turmoil and had bad locker rooms for very different reasons under both Raheem Morris and Schiano. On the other hand, Smith has been one of the best head coaches in recent memory at working with players, and he could do wonders in helping out the Buccaneers defense.
If the Bucs or any other team decides to bring Smith aboard, then it sounds like their offense will be run by former California Golden Bears head coach Jeff Tedford. According to the National Football Post’s Jason Cole, former Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers firmly believes that Tedford can be an effective offensive coordinator in the NFL.
Cole also reported that Rod Marinelli (duh), former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano (as an offensive coordinator), and recently fired Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier (defensive coordinator, was Smith’s DC with the Bears) would also be preferred members of Smith’s staff. That’s a very strong staff, and it’s one that would greatly aid a team like the Buccaneers. Tedford is the most iffy name, but he ran a pro-style offense in college and did a solid job of coaching up QBs over there.