Dirk Koetter’s seat continually heats with no sign of a cool-down in the future.
Many have been calling for the head coach’s head since the mid-2017 season. The outcry continues to grow. The loss in New York to the Giants only further increases the fire under Koetter’s seat, and many hope that a change will be made sooner rather than later. I am of the belief that the change will come at the season’s end.
When that change finally comes, there will be a be a new head coach in town, but who will it be? Many have their favorite picks, and I have mine, but who is realistically available? My preferred candidate is New York Giants DC James Bettcher. Bettcher has a defensive mind, something Tampa surely needs.
Defense wins championships, which we all know to be true. Yes, Jon Gruden coached the Super Bowl-winning Buccaneers and he is an offensive mind, but there is no question that the dominant 2002 season came from off of the backs of two great defensive-minded coaches—Tony Dungy and Monte Kiffin. That is why I want a defensive-minded head coach at the helm for 2019. Bettcher has the intangibles to become a successful NFL head coach. Working his way up from OL coach to defensive coordinator in Arizona, he earned his head coach Bruce Arians’ respect to the point that when Arians retired, he called for Bettcher to be his successor.
However, if the offense is your thing, there are plenty of OCs that could use a promotion. Vikings OC John DeFilippo, Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, Titans OC Matt LaFluer, and Seahawks OC Brian Schottenheimer top the list.
New York Jets HC Todd Bowles is on the list of hot seat coaches and could be terminated at the end of the season as well as Ravens HC John Harbaugh. Bowles has a defensive mind and defensive coaching experience. However, as an HC his 25–35 record leaves much to be desired. Many fans wouldn’t mind having John Harbaugh as the HC in Tampa. I believe he would work out fine, and with his 105–71 record as an HC, including 10 postseason wins and a Super Bowl, I think he’s a perfect replacement candidate as well.
The Green Bay Packers have been rumored to be parting ways with HC Mike McCarthy at the end of the season. I don’t see why he wouldn’t fit nicely in Tampa. McCarthy’s win-loss record is 135–82–2 including 10 postseason wins, one of which was the Super Bowl.
Jason Garret is on the hot seat in Dallas, and it is believed that he too could be terminated following the final game of the season. His career win-loss record is 73–60 including a postseason win.
Dirk Koetter is clearly not the guy for the Buccaneers anymore, and it’s time to move on from him. He is currently 17-24 as an HC. For perspective’s sake, Greg Schiano was 11-21 during his two seasons as an NFL HC.
Koetter had given up the play-calling—and the Bucs looked good—but then decided to take it back during the embarrassing loss to the Redskins. With the QB conspiracy, the circus that the team is, and the long overdue firing of his longtime friend Mike Smith, it has been more than an embarrassing 2018 season. Koetter returned the reigns of play-calling to his OC Todd Monkem. Whether that was a call he made for himself or it came from the top is unclear. (Although, respectfully, that’s solely the head coach’s decision to make.)
What is clear, though, is that Koetter has to go.
