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About the Author: Matt Matera
Latest Bucs Headlines
Bucs quarterback coach Thad Lewis is already taking on a new role going from assistant from wide receivers coach to quarterbacks coach this season. He’s also added another objective to his offseason as Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports that Lewis will be attending the NFL’s 2023 Accelerator Program during the spring meetings at the end of May.
NFC South coaches participating in NFL’s accelerator program: Bucs’ Thad Lewis, Falcons’ Jerry Gray and Saints’ Ronald Curry. Also former USF coach Willie Taggart, now with Ravens.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 17, 2023
The purpose of the Accelerator Program is to have over 60 coach and general manager candidates get together for leadership development and networking opportunities. All 32 teams will be represented.
Bucs new QBs coach Thad Lewis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
An added feature of the program is that it provides senior women and minority prospects to have leadership development sessions with football operations experts and facilitators. They’ll spend time networking directly with team owners.
The goal is to continue building a diverse hiring pipeline for future head coach and general manager positions throughout the NFL. Last season, Senior Director of Research Jacqueline Davidson and former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich attended the program. This year Lewis, who is one of three holdovers on the offensive coaching staff after many changes were made, will be representing Tampa Bay.
Lewis’ Coaching Background
After starting four years at quarterback in college at Duke where he broke school records for career passing yards (10,065) and passing touchdowns (67) to go with nine rushing touchdowns, Lewis spent eight seasons in the NFL.
He played for with the St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens. He played in seven career games, making six starts, recording 115 completions for 1,296 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, adding one rushing touchdown.
Bucs assistant coach Thaddeus Lewis and WR Jerreth Sterns – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
When Lewis wrapped up his playing career, he spent two years as an offensive analyst at UCLA working under Chip Kelly from 2018-19. Then, Lewis interned with the Bucs in 2020, where he made a strong impression on Bruce Arians, who hired him to replace Antwaan Randle El as the assistant receivers coach last year. Lewis officially joined the Bucs coaching staff in 2021 as the assistant wide receivers coach, staying in that role for two seasons until Todd Bowles anointed him as the next quarterbacks coach for the upcoming 2023 season.
Lewis is regarded as one of the brightest minds on the coaching staff and is highly thought of by both Bowles and former head coach Bruce Arians. He has worked with former wide receivers coach Kevin Garver, and now will get to be a full-time position coach for the first time.
Lewis Discusses Coaching Change
Bucs WR Breshad Perriman and assistant coach Thad Lewis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
While there’s a change going from coaching wide receivers to quarterbacks, Lewis downplayed there being a huge transition considering quarterback was the position he played. He talked about the move recently.
“I don’t think it’s a big transition for me, for a guy that played the position in the NFL for seven years,” Lewis said a week ago. “[You’re] doing the same thing you did as a player – studying film, relaying messages as a backup to the starter, so you were similar to being a player-coach. Now you have a little bit more experience [and] more time with the younger guys.
“You’re just sharing the knowledge and game that you’ve learned over those years being that guy. Obviously, you’re an extension of Dave [Canales] and all the things we’re learning to make sure the guys get it and grasp it the right way.”
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