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About the Author: Scott Reynolds
Latest Bucs Headlines
On Thursday the Bucs officially announced the hiring of new wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon and new assistant offensive line coach Brian Picucci, who were previously reported, but also revealed that Tampa Bay had hired Josh Grizzard to be the team’s pass game coordinator. Grizzard comes to Tampa Bay from Miami where he spent seven years on the Dolphins staff under three different head coaches.
The Bucs did not have pass game coordinator position in 2023.
During the 2020-21 seasons, Grizzard was the Dolphins wide receivers coach. In 2021 as the Dolphins receivers coach, he helped Jaylen Waddle post 104 receptions for 1,015 yards, which set an NFL receptions record for rookies at the time.
Upon the hiring of new head coach Mike McDaniels in 2022, Grizzard remained on the staff as a quality control coach, which was a position he had previoiusly from 2017-19. Grizzard began coaching as a student assistant at Yale, which was his alma mater, in 2012, before spending four years as a graduate assistant/quality control coach at Duke.
In 2023, Grizzard helped Miami’s prolific offense that led the league in yards (401.3 avg.), passing yards (265.5 avg.) and yards per carry (5.1 avg.). The Dolphins also ranked second in yards per play (6.5), net yards per pass attempt (8.0) and points per game (29.2).
Bucs WR Coach Bryan McClendon – Photo by: USA Today
Picucci, who was a quality control coach under new offensive coordinator Liam Coen at the University of Kentucky, will assist new Tampa Bay offensive line coach Kevin Carberry, who was recently the Saints assistant offensive line coach. Although the Bucs didn’t have an assistant offensive line coaching position last year, run game coordinator Harold Goodwin and offensive line coach Joe Gilbert both coached the Bucs O-line from 2019-23 before joining Dave Canales in Carolina.
McClendon comes to Tampa Bay from Georgia, which is his alma mater, where he was the Bulldogs wide receivers coach from 2022-23 with stints as receivers coach at Oregon (2020-21) and South Carolina (2016-19) where he also spent time as the Gamecocks offensive coordinator. He also coached running backs at Georgia from 2009-14 where he helped put Isaiah Crowell, Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel in the NFL.
McClendon replaces Brad Idzik, who followed Canales to Carolina where he will be the Panthers offensive coordinator, although Canales will call plays.
Bucs Retain Several Offensive Assistant Coaches
Despite some new additions to the offensive coaching staff, the Buccaneers confirmed that several of their offensive assistant coaches will remain in Tampa Bay. Quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis, tight ends coach John Van Dam, running backs coach Skip Peete are holdovers, in addition to senior offensive assistant Tom Moore, offensive quality control coach Jeff Kastl and assistant quarterbacks coach Jordan Somerville.
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