Former Bucs head coach Sam Wyche passed away on Thursday at 74-years old.
Wyche began his NFL head coaching career with the Bengals after a one-year stint at Indiana University, remaining in Cincinnati from 1984 to 1991. Wyche lead the Bengals to the playoffs on two separate occasions, reaching a Super Bowl appearance in 1989 where Cincinnati would ultimately lose a 20-17 contest to the San Francisco 49ers. After eight seasons with the Bengals, Wyche took over as the Bucs’ head coach from 1992-1995.
Wyche would then finish his career largely at the high school level, spending two seasons as a quarterbacks coach with the Buffalo Bills for the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Sam Wyche – Photo by: Mark Cook
Wyche won 23 games over four seasons with Tampa Bay but most famously spearheaded drafts that brought in multiple cornerstones from the Tampa Bay’s historic, Super Bowl-winning defense, including safety John Lynch, defensive tackle Warren Sapp and linebacker Derrick Brooks.
Bucs owner/co-chairman Bryan Glazer released a statement following Wyche’s passing.
“We are saddened to hear of the passing of Sam Wyche earlier today. Sam’s innovative approach to offense left a lasting mark on the game of football. As our head coach in the early 1990s, Sam was instrumental in drafting cornerstone players such as John Lynch, Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp, who were all key foundational parts of our eventual Super Bowl championship. The Buccaneers organization sends its heartfelt condolences to his wife, Jane, and the entire Wyche family.”