By Josh Katzowitz
The hiring of Rutgers coach Greg Schiano to fill the vacant Buccaneers job moved at light speed Thursday morning, and now according to CBSSports.com’s Brett McMurphy, the deal is done and Schiano has accepted the job.
Bucs general manager Mark Dominik told the Associated Press that Schiano has agreed yo a five-year contract, and Schiano will be introduced at a press conference on Friday.
"Coach Schiano is a bright, meticulous teacher who knows how to get the most out of his players," Dominik said. "He built and ran a pro-style program at Rutgers, and he's a defensive-minded coach whose teams have always been characterized by toughness and a physical style of play."
Schiano's ability to build -- or rebuild -- a program played a part in Tampa Bay's choice, according to Bucs chairmain Joel Glazer.
"During our thorough search, we met with numerous impressive candidates, but coach Schiano surely distinguished himself," Glazer said. "From his leadership skills to his considerable track record, he is, simply put, the right man for the job."
Schiano, who was an assistant with the Bears from 1996-98, took Rutgers from a bottom-feeding program to a team that had a winning record in six of his last seven years in New Jersey.
The hiring of Schiano is a big surprise, considering his name wasn’t mentioned among the 11 other candidates who the Buccaneers supposedly chased (including Oregon’s Chip Kelly, who accepted the job before changing his mind, and Mike Sherman and Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, who were offered second interviews).
| Bucs hire Schiano |
|
So, it appears the Buccaneers had Schiano -- who will replace Raheem Morris after his 4-12 season -- in mind the entire time.
Schiano has long been rumored as a potential replacement for recently deceased Penn State coach Joe Paterno, but his name was never really mentioned after the Jerry Sandusky scandal resulted in Paterno being removed from his position as head coach.
The former Rutgers coach drew plenty of interest from other schools, though -- both Michigan and Miami have recently courted Schiano.
Schiano, who went 68-67 during his tenure, was the FWAA coach of the year in 2006 and led the Scarlet Knights to four straight bowl victories (before Schiano came aboard, Rutgers had made just one bowl in its 135-year history).
But if the Buccaneers wanted to hire an exciting coach to replace a fan base disillusioned by Morris’ final year, this probably isn’t the way to do it. Chip Kelly probably would have created enthusiasm and excitement. While Schiano’s schemes are probably more suited to the NFL, his buzz factor is quite a bit lower.
For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.
Subscribe to this blog
Good luck to Schiano, I hope he succeeds. He was a hell of a college coach...but no NFL experience. This was not the time to take on another project and hope for a Harbaugh result. The one sure way of helping Schiano succeed is to hire NFL experienced coordinators and surround him with NFL minds. But that is pretty much impossible due to the way the Glazers handled the interview process.
They interviewed everyone except Mike Singletary making it pretty impossible to bring any of them in as an assistant. Not one of them would interview for the HC, get turned down for another and then come in to work under them. Sherman....now going to Miami as OC. Childress...now going to Cleveland as OC it looks like. Chudz will stay where he is. Phillips, nice and comfy in Texas. Jerry Grey, not a chance. It looks like even Jack Del Rio has an oppty. What are the Bucs going to be coached by the Rutgers staff??
Who is left to fill out the staff? What NFL experienced coordinators are still out there that are worth a flip? More importantly what experienced coordinators want to come in and work under a career college coach and for a group of cheap, lousy, bad decision making owners that cannot fill their stadium and suffer weekly blackouts?
Lets face it Glazer family, it is time to get out of the NFL. You are quickly becoming a laughing stock again based on your decisions, not the teams win loss record. Yes, I am a resident of this area and will not be renewing my season tickets. Still a fan of the team, the players and of their new coaches, good luck to all, but definitely not a fan of the ownership! The Tampa Bay area deserves better! Head on over across the pond and run your soccer (football) club. I read you are pretty hated over there, getting near that in the U.S. too.