The Buccaneers filled one of their coaching vacancies Friday, naming former Bucs offensive lineman George Yarno the new Tampa Bay assistant offensive line coach.

Yarno fills the vacancy left by senior assistant/offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, whose contract expires at the end of the month. Yarno will work closely with Bucs offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Muir in coaching the offensive linemen.

Yarno played for the Buccaneers a total of eight seasons. His first stint was from 1979-83 and the second was from 1985-87. He also played with Atlanta, Houston and Green Bay.

He played in 109 games (63 starts) and helped Tampa Bay make the 1979 NFC Championship Game.

Before joining the Buccaneers, Yarno spent five seasons (2003-07) at Washington State University, where he served as the offensive line coach for his alma mater.

Yarno isn’t the first former Buccaneers player to re-join the team in another capacity. In fact, four other former players – linebacker Shelton Quarles (pro scout), quarterback Doug Williams (personnel executive), running back Reggie Cobb (college scout), safety Eric Vance (director of player development), tight end Dave Moore (color analyst) and defensive back Dwayne Stukes (coaches assistant) – are currently working for the Buccaneers organization.

Tampa Bay is in the process of attempting to fill its other coaching vacancies.

Running backs coach Art Valero left Tampa Bay to become an assistant head coach in St. Louis and assistant defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake was hired as Detroit’s defensive backs coach earlier in the month.

In addition to those two coaching needs, Bucs quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett’s contract is set to expire at the end of the month and he isn’t likely to return.

Word out of the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. was that Nathaniel Hackett, who is Paul Hackett’s son and has served as Tampa Bay’s offensive quality control coach, was going to take a job with the Buffalo Bills.

One name on Tampa Bay’s radar as far as the quarterbacks coaching position is concerned is Greg Olson, who was St. Louis’ offensive coordinator but was recently demoted. The St. Petersburg Times reported that the Bucs recently interviewed Olson, who coached quarterback Jeff Garcia in San Francisco in 2001.

Tampa Bay general manager Bruce Allen told Pewter Report that he expected the Bucs to have their coaching staff filled out by Feb. 3, which is day Super Bowl XXLII will be played.

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