The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a hugely successful hire with Dirk Koetter in 2015. A year later, they believe they’ve done so again.On Friday, the Buccaneers announced that Koetter, the team’s offensive coordinator in 2015, will become the 11th head coach in franchise history. Koetter succeeds Lovie Smith, who was dismissed nine days earlier, and will be formally introduced during a press conference at One Buccaneer Place on Friday at 2:00 p.m. ET."We are excited to announce that Dirk Koetter will lead the Buccaneers as our new head coach,” said Buccaneers Co-Chairman Joel Glazer. ”Dirk has established himself as one of the top offensive coaches in our game while enjoying success at every stop during his college and NFL career. His success with our offense last season, along with his familiarity with our players and our organization, makes Dirk the right man to lead our team moving forward." In his first season with the Buccaneers, Koetter brought instant vitality to an offense that had struggled for years. Tampa Bay set team records for total net yards (6,014) and yards per play (5.9) and succeeded both on the ground and through the air. The team's per-game averages of 135.1 rushing yards and 240.8 passing yards both ranked as the second-best single-season marks in franchise history. Overall, the Buccaneers finished fifth in the NFL in total offense, their highest placement on that list in 40 seasons of play. The Buccaneers’ offense did all this despite relying on a host of very young players, including 21-year-old rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, who started all 16 games. Koetter’s development of Winston – and what that continued development could mean for the future of the franchise – was surely a significant factor in the Buccaneers’ decision to hand him the reins.
