After just three years as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dirk Koetter has been handed his walking papers. Per Adam Schefter, Koetter has been relieved of his duties, making him the first head coach casualty going into the 2019 off-season.
Post-season firings are underway: Buccaneers relieves HC Dirk Koetter of his duties, source tells ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 31, 2018
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fire Dirk Koetter After Three Seasons
We all remember how Koetter got his job in the first place. He brought the Tampa Bay offense to new heights under head coach Lovie Smith. When the off-season came, the Buccaneers were faced with a decision. Let Koetter inevitably walk and sign a deal to become a head coach elsewhere, or fire Lovie Smith and keep Koetter in Tampa Bay. They opted for the latter, relieving Smith of his duties and promoting Koetter to head coach.
One can argue if that was the smartest decision by the Glazers, owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After starting hot with a 9-7 finish his first year, expectations were high all around for the Buccaneers. They were even selected for the popular TV show, Hard Knocks. Koetter proceeded to fall short and deliver a disappointing 5-11 season. Yet, expectations were still high coming in to this year as a handful of analysts pegged the Buccaneers as playoff hopefuls. That did not happen as the Buccaneers again, posted a 5-11 record.
As a result, the Glazers finally pulled the plug on the Koetter experiment. Koetter failed at what he was supposed to do best, as the offense sputtered when he took play calling duties from Todd Monken. Monken eventually took over play calling duties again and the offense shined under him as a result. Koetter may come to a rude awakening when searching for gigs this off-season. It would not be surprising if he has to settle for a positional offer if no teams come calling for his services.
It may not be want Buccaneers fans wanted, but it appears Jason Licht’s job as general Manager is safe. Per Adam Schefter, Licht is said to be enlisting in the services of a search firm, Korn-Ferry. Korn-Ferry has assisted multiple organizations in the NFL with their head coaching services in the past. This could be Licht’s last chance to prove himself to the Glazer’s and it sounds like he wants some outside help in doing so.
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