Lovie Smith really likes Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lovie Smith reacts to play against the Detroit Lions during 2nd Half of a game at Ford Field. Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers mercifully fired head coach Greg Schiano, who was simply a nightmare and led the Bucs to a dreadful start despite the talent on both sides of the ball. The Bucs still need to get better on defense and add a part or two to the offense, but this is a team that should have finished with a much better record than 4-12. Schiano’s firing was an obvious decision for the Glazers to make, but it was a bit more surprising to see them can Mark Dominik. All told, the decision to fire Dominik also makes sense, since it allows the Bucs to clean house. Plus, while Dominik was excellent at drafting, he overspent on some players in free agency and doesn’t seem to evaluate defensive backs well (grossly overpaid Eric Wright and Dashon Goldson).
Anyway, the next task for the Glazers is to add a new head coach and GM, and it looks like they should be closing in on one name in particular. Former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith has already been linked to several teams in need of a head coach (most prominently the Houston Texans), and he’s already been linked to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Lovie Smith is “very interested” in the Buccaneers head coaching position, and that’s excellent news for the Bucs indeed. It means they have a very good chance at snagging one of the best and most experienced head coaches on the market, and Smith would immediately bring back some credence to the Buccaneers organization. Each of their last two coaches were laughingstocks for different reasons; Raheem Morris created an unprofessional working environment, whereas Schiano took discipline to farcical levels. A genius with defenses, Smith does an amazing job of working with players and knows how to walk the fine line that correctly meshes discipline with relaxation in an organization.