PI ALERT: IF GRUDEN GETS FIRED, WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES TO REPLACE HIM?

[Itchalot]

They won't hire a defensive guy when Kiffin is there.  Otherwise I would vote for....Stoops.  Good suggestion by Corpse.  Thats one and counting. 

But......I have been one who has said all along that Kiffin doesn't want to be a head coach.  OK but this is the Bucs, his team.  His players. OK Brooks is over the hill but still the nuts and bolts players like Ruud, Spires, Bolden, etc. are his guys who know his system. You just need to add a couple stud players.  And maybe as Kiffin comes to the end of the line he is thinking why not take one shot at being a HC?  This would be his one shot if Tampa is his final resting place.  He may say what the heck lets do it for a couple years.

So Gruden isn't going anywhere, but if he does I predict here and now that Kiffin will shock the world or at least Tampa Bay and become the next HC.

[MiltonMack21]

I have watched Bob Stoops coach with the loss of his starting QB, his star running back, 2 offensive linemen along with alot of losses on the defensive side. He coached them to the Big 12 championship. If we don't get him, I am afraid he ends up in Dallas.

[buckit]

If Gruden gets the Ax, so should Monte.  The Buccaneer D is f***in joke and the fact that he didn't build for the future means HE's accountable.  He seems to have stayed one season too long, honestly.. Gods love him, I'll always be greatful and respectful of him but it's time to blow up the whole D, including the coordinator

Personally I like Gruden..but...well, as we always say you can't argue with results...and personally, the thought of Charlie Weis as HC really tickles my fancy...

[blitz]

If you want a true offensive genius as HC it's Cameron.

[DanTurksGhost]

So Gruden isn't going anywhere, but if he does I predict here and now that Kiffin will shock the world or at least Tampa Bay and become the next HC.

The odds of that happening are very, very low.

[Skull and Bones]

If you want a true offensive genius as HC it's Cameron.

He was going to be our OC when McKay hired Marvin Lewis.  He's a Norm Turner protege and has done a great job in San Deigo.


Nolan Cromwell-Wide Receivers Coach Seawhawks or Jim Zorn-QB Coach Seahawks would be someone I'd consider for OC if a defensive HC is hired.  I really like the thought of one of the Ryan Brothers as HC with the other as Asst. HC/DC.

I would stay away from any college coach unless he has some NFL experience on the resume.

[DanTurksGhost]

He was going to be our OC when McKay hired Marvin Lewis.

McKay never hired Marvin Lewis. He tried to, despite what he was ordered to do by the owners, but he didn't have the power to hire a coach. All McKay got was embarrassed.

[Skull and Bones]

I know the whole story and believe me I am no McKay apologist.  Nevertheless, McKay told Lewis he had the job and Cam was going to be the OC (not sure if McKay or Lewis was behind it).

[DanTurksGhost]

I know the whole story and believe me I am no McKay apologist.  Nevertheless, McKay told Lewis he had the job and Cam was going to be the OC (not sure if McKay or Lewis was behind it).

Oh yes, that's true--McKay erroneously told Lewis he was hired. It was a lame attempt by McKay, but it shows you what kind of guy he is.

[Skull and Bones]

Another very bright offensive mind is Marty's son Brian Schottenheimer who has been QB Coach of the Chargers and is now the Jets OC.  But he's only 32 and has been a OC for only 1 year.  He will be a HC one day but is too green at this point.

[BornaBuc47]

Lets look at the Gruden's coaching resume in Tampa...

2002-(12-4) 1st in NFC South/SB winner
2003-(7-9) 3rd in NFC South
2004-(5-11) Last in NFC South
2005-(11-5) 1st in NFC South
2006-(most likely 3-13) Last in NFC South

Now, I don't fault Gruden for 2003. We just lost too many players to injury but if we had remained healthy I really think we would have made another run. Losing Alstott, Jurevicious, Kelly, Lynch was just too much to overcome. So if you take that year out of the picture then you'll see that we have won the NFC South twice, won the SB once, and had two terrible losing 4th place seasons. So we're 2-2 from my count. Although I don't like Gruden much I think he will be here through 2008. Having said that we need to see some serious change in the next two years. Here's what I think would help us most...

***Offensive Coordinator***

Gruden had one in Oakland and it seemed to work out good for them. He may be great at drawing up plays but he's focused entirely on the QB position which isn't helping the offense. Somebody needs to convince him to hire a good offensive coordinator so we can get this offense rolling. It is pathetic that we were all **CENSORED**ing about the predictability of Dungy and now we have to sit through it again with Gruden.

[Shag]

If Gruden gets the Ax, so should Monte.  The Buccaneer D is f***in joke and the fact that he didn't build for the future means HE's accountable.  He seems to have stayed one season too long, honestly.. Gods love him, I'll always be greatful and respectful of him but it's time to blow up the whole D, including the coordinator

Kiffin is the reason we have a championship. It's his first year with a dissapointing defense because Gruden and Allen haven't given him anything but players like Hovan and Bolden to work with and only 3 first day draft picks in the last 5 years. Now are best players are too old and we lose a couple of guys and that it. Our old defensive coaches are head coaches right now for a reason.

[keeponbucn]

If Gruden gets the Ax, so should Monte.  The Buccaneer D is f***in joke and the fact that he didn't build for the future means HE's accountable.  He seems to have stayed one season too long, honestly.. Gods love him, I'll always be greatful and respectful of him but it's time to blow up the whole D, including the coordinator

Kiffin is the reason we have a championship. It's his first year with a dissapointing defense because Gruden and Allen haven't given him anything but players like Hovan and Bolden to work with and only 3 first day draft picks in the last 5 years. Now are best players are too old and we lose a couple of guys and that it. Our old defensive coaches are head coaches right now for a reason.

Kiffin is one of the reasons the Bucs have a championship, Gruden is the other. Let's not get this twisted. Do you know how the Bucs handle the draft? It's a group effort with all the coaches, scouts, etc. Gruden and Allen don't just sit back and decide. It's been documented that it's a group effort.

Let me ask you, over the past 4 years what side of the ball needed the most attention? Offense

Did you predict and slide by the defense this year?

The FO did everything they could to keep the players together. The biggest mistake was letting D Jax go, that was huge, but other than that why would you not want to keep the #1 defense together?

Going into this years draft what was the need? Was it defense?

Call me a Grudenista or whatever, I just have a hard time when people make statements like fact that aren't true. Read up, get educated about the Bucs and come back with something....I mean, something. 

[dalbuc]

If Gruden gets the Ax, so should Monte.  The Buccaneer D is f***in joke and the fact that he didn't build for the future means HE's accountable.

We're 16th or 17th right now. 32nd is a joke. The Bucs defense is average right now it looks bad to us because for about a decade around here this is what "bad" looks like.

[Shag]

Did you predict and slide by the defense this year?

The FO did everything they could to keep the players together. The biggest mistake was letting D Jax go, that was huge, but other than that why would you not want to keep the #1 defense together?

Going into this years draft what was the need? Was it defense?

Call me a Grudenista or whatever, I just have a hard time when people make statements like fact that aren't true. Read up, get educated about the Bucs and come back with something....I mean, something. 

I actually thought it would happen last year. I was real mad when we completely ignored defense on the first day last year. I think the need was defense. That's where we need to get younger. I do not look at the draft for immediate need, I think the draft is for a year or two down the line. Here's something that's true. We are the only team in the NFL to have not drafted defense in the 1st round since 1999.