The search for a special teams coordinator continues to roll on for the Bucs as reports says that have two more interviews that they are going to conduct. Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer reported on Monday night that the Bucs are set to interviews Saints’ assistant special teams coordinator Phil Galiano. On Tuesday, the Bucs announced that they will be interviewing former Seahawks special teams coordinator, Larry Izzo.

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Galiano Has History With The Bucs

If Galiano’s name sounds familiar to you, that’s because he’s been with the Bucs before. He was their assistant special teams coach under then head coach Greg Schiano for the 2012 and 2013 season. Galiano had spent the previous 12 years working at the collegiate level including the 2010 and 2011 seasons with Schiano at Rutgers.

Following his stint with the Bucs, Galiano went back to Rutgers for two seasons and then bounced around to the Dolphins and Penn State. Galiano found more stability in 2019 when he took the job as the Saints’ assistant special teams coordinator, which he still is at today.

Izzo Brings NFL Playing Experience

Izzo was a special teams ace in his long 14-year NFL career. He spent his whole career in the AFC East, playing five seasons with the Dolphins, eight seasons with the Patriots and one year with the Jets. Izzo won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and wound up making three Pro Bowls (one with Miami, two with New England) and earned an All-Pro honor in 2004. The big reason Izzo made the Pro Bowl was for his work on special teams.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Beginning his coaching career in 2011, Izzo caught on with the Giants from 2011 to to 2015 as an assistant special coach. He upgraded to special teams coordinator going to the Texans for two seasons in 2016 and 2017.

Ever since, Izzo has been in Seattle with a coaching role for the Seahawks. From 2018 to 2020 he was an assistant special teams coach, but became the interim coordinator in September of 2020 after Brian Schneider left the team for personal reasons. The next year Izzo was hired as special teams coordinator and has held the job for the next two seasons.

In 2021, Izzo helped the Seahawks to get ranked third in special teams efficiency. They’ve been in the top 10 of special teams in his tenure at coordinator. With Pete Carroll getting let go and Mike Macdonald taking over as Seattle’s coach, he brought in a new staff and hired Jay Harbaugh, the son of Jim Harbaugh, to be the new special teams coordinator. This made Izzo available for a role with the Bucs.

That makes it five candidates that the Bucs have interviewed or plan to interviews. They still need to find a speical teams coordinator along with a wide receivers coach and offensive line coach.