Jeff Tedford on the sideline during the third quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Memorial Stadium. Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Lovie Smith was always the huge favorite to be the next head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, because there was plenty of mutual interest regarding a move. It would have been a surprise, honestly, for Smith to land anywhere else, and thus it wasn’t a surprise to hear the news that the Bucs had indeed hired Smith. Not only will they get a good, experienced head coach, but they will also be getting a stacked, experienced staff. Rod Marinelli is going to be the Buccaneers next defensive coordinator, and there will be plenty of other talented coaches joining the ranks. One of those experienced coaches is former Cal head coach Jeff Tedford, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Tedford will be the Buccaneers offensive coordinator on Smith’s staff.
Tedford sure has experience, but he’s a pretty polarizing hire overall. Although he has built a reputation for himself as a quarterback guru, Tedford hasn’t developed a meaningful quarterback since Aaron Rodgers. The likes of Kyle Boller scatter his resume, whereas Tedford has mentored plenty of great running backs like Marshawn Lynch and Shane Vereen.
The Buccaneers will be counting on Tedford to work with whoever they choose as their next franchise quarterback, whether it’s Mike Glennon or somebody else. That’s the biggest key for this team, and that’s what Tedford’s No. 1 job is. Tedford was always going to be “the guy” at offensive coordinator for Lovie Smith, but only time will tell if he’ll be “the guy” at OC for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I think he has the ability to do a good job, but I don’t think anyone is truly sold on him.