It’s coaching carousel season in both college football and the NFL. In a move everybody saw coming, the New York Giants recently fired their head coach Ben McAdoo. Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator Mike Smith has head coaching experience with the Atlanta Falcons and has won a super bowl with the Ravens. Because of those and other factors, Smith has become a top candidate to fulfill the vacancy.
It is also worth noting that Smith previously interviewed for the Giants job two years ago, before the organization ultimately promoted McAdoo, then offensive coordinator, to head coach.
Today Smith was asked if he still has a desire to be an NFL head coach.
“I’m a week to week kind of guy during the season,” Smith said. “My focus is on what we have to do this week to get better. That’s not long term, that’s short term. My long term focus and my commitment will continue to be is to be the best we can be to finish this season out strong. I look forward to moving forward into next season. That’s how I have to approach this and that’s how I do approach it. I’m committed to being the best I can be right here.”
Following a successful end to last year that saw Smith turn the Buccaneers defense around, Smith interviewed for the head coaching job at the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he deflected the question, Interviewing for head coaching jobs two years in a row shows that Smith still has interest in being a head coach in this league.
The Buccaneers defense hasn’t lived up to expectations this year, but Smith still has experience that a lot of other possible candidates for the Giants job won’t, making him an attractive possibility in New York.