A day after agreeing to remain in Tampa Bay and change into the league’s highest-paid offensive coordinator, Liam Coen left the Bucs late Thursday night time to change into the pinnacle coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Other than an enormous increase that comes with making head coach cash, Coen will even get to assist Jaguars proprietor Shad Khan choose a brand new normal supervisor, and he’ll get to work with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, huge receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and the working again tandem of Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne Jr.
In the meantime, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and normal supervisor Jason Licht shall be searching for the group’s fourth offensive coordinator in 4 years. Bowles fired Byron Leftwich after the 2022 season and employed Dave Canales to exchange him. When Canales was employed by Carolina to change into the Panthers head coach final January, the Bucs employed Coen to exchange him.
So who will the Bucs flip to now to fill the play-caller emptiness created by Coen’s departure? Final 12 months the Bucs interviewed 13 recognized candidates, together with Coen, earlier than Canales was changed. These candidates had been as follows:
Bucs’ In-Home Candidates
Thad Lewis – Bucs quarterbacks coachJohn Van Dam – Bucs go recreation assistant in 2024 / Bucs tight ends coach in 2023
Exterior Candidates
Alex Van Pelt – Former Patriots offensive coordinator in 2024 / Browns offensive coordinator in 2023Ken Dorsey – Former Browns offensive coordinator in 2024 / Payments offensive coordinator in 2023Brian Johnson – Commanders assistant head coach/offensive go recreation coordinator in 2024 / Eagles offensive coordinator in 2023Jerrod Johnson – Texans quarterbacks coachKellen Moore – Eagles offensive coordinator in 2024 / Chargers offensive coordinator in 2023Zac Robinson – Falcons offensive coordinator in 2024 / Rams quarterback coach/go recreation coordinator in 2023Jake Peetz – Seattle Seahawks go recreation coordinator in 2024 / Rams go recreation specialist in 2023Antwaan Randle El – Lions huge receivers coachKlint Kubiak – Former Saints offensive coordinator in 2024 / 49ers go recreation coordinator in 2023Tanner Engstrand – Lions passing recreation coordinator
Bucs GM Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Of that group, Brian Johnson, Moore and Robinson are present offensive coordinators and can’t make a lateral transfer.
There’s a probability that the Bucs may revisit a few of these candidates or discover some new ones. A kind of could possibly be from throughout the group with Bucs go recreation coordinator Josh Grizzard, who may preserve the present teaching workers in place in addition to the offensive system that was so profitable final 12 months.
Different new exterior candidates may probably embody Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, Minnesota tight ends/passing recreation coordinator Brian Angelichio, who coached tight ends in Tampa Bay beneath Greg Schiano from 2012-13, Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon, Baltimore quarterbacks coach Tee Martin, Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley, Miami offensive coordinator (non-play-caller) Frank Smith and Minnesota assistant offensive coordinator Grant Udinski.
Todd Bowles will now be searching for his FOURTH OC in 4 years.
However Bowles is dealing from a place of energy. He is a kingmaker along with his final two OCs turning into head coaches.#Bucs OC emptiness shall be broadly wanted, particularly with Mayfield, Evans, Irving, Wirfs, and so forth.
Josh Grizzard May Be Bucs’ High In-Home Offensive Coordinator Candidate
As I wrote about in final week’s SR’s Fab 5 column, the Bucs have an intriguing in-house candidate to exchange Liam Coen as offensive coordinator in go recreation coordinator Josh Grizzard. He’s tremendous vivid and broadly regarded contained in the halls of One Buccaneer Place.
Bucs go recreation coordinator Josh Grizzard and RBs coach Skip Peete – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Grizzard was employed final 12 months to work with Coen as his right-hand man within the passing recreation. If Coen doesn’t take him to Jacksonville to be his offensive coordinator (in title solely), Grizzard could possibly be an choice to be the Bucs’ play-caller in 2025.
Grizzard may wish to be an precise play-calling offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay relatively than simply be Coen’s recreation plan collaborator in Jacksonville.
Previous to coming to the Bucs, Grizzard spent 5 seasons with the Dolphins, working for each head coaches Brian Flores (2019-21) and Mike McDaniel (2022-23). After serving as a high quality management coach in 2019, Grizzard turned Miami’s huge receivers coach from 2020-21. Grizzard helped develop Jaylen Waddle, who broke the NFL’s then-rookie-receptions report in 2021 with 104. Waddle additionally set a present Dolphins rookie report of 1,015 receiving yards.
When McDaniel changed Flores, Grizzard was moved again to the function of high quality management coach in 2022-23 earlier than being employed by Coen in Tampa Bay in 2024. The 34-year previous Yale graduate started his teaching profession at his alma mater in 2012 a grad assistant earlier than transferring on to Duke as a grad assistant/high quality management coach from 2013-16.
Bucs go recreation coordinator Josh Grizzard and OC Liam Coen – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Though Grizzard has by no means had any play-calling expertise at any stage, that didn’t cease Dave Canales from being profitable in his first 12 months as offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay in 2023. Coen had by no means known as performs on the NFL stage exterior of some video games in Los Angeles in 2022 and two seasons at Kentucky in 2021 and 2023 because the Wildcats offensive coordinator.
Coen praised Grizzard a couple of weeks in the past throughout certainly one of his press conferences.
“I think, first of all, shoutout to Josh and really the staff in general have done a phenomenal job throughout the whole year,” Coen stated when discussing the group’s success on third down, which ranked third within the NFL at 48.3% on the time. “The guys in charge of those areas – Thad Lewis is in charge of the red zone, ‘B-Mac’ (Bryan McClendon) is in charge of two-minute, and ‘Grizz’ happens to be in charge of third downs. Their ideas, plays, and thoughts and schemes is what does come to life as what you see on Sunday.”
Grizzard definitely knew what he was doing on third downs this 12 months. Tampa Bay led the league with a 51.1% third down conversion share. In Sunday’s playoff loss to the Washington Commanders, the Bucs transformed 5-of-9 (55.6%) on third downs. Grizzard is one to observe sooner or later – probably the close to future.
Jake Peetz May Be Lead Exterior Offensive Coordinator Candidate
If the Bucs resolve to look exterior the group for Liam Coen’s substitute properly, the offensive coordinator job is much more enticing than it was once.
Seahawks go recreation coordinator Jake Peetz – Photograph by: USA Right now
Whoever can be employed to exchange Coen would inherit a franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield and a few proficient weapons in working backs Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, huge receivers Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan and Chris Godwin, who’s scheduled at no cost company however shall be again (belief me). To not point out some succesful, younger tight ends, and top-of-the-line and youngest offensive strains within the league.
One exterior identify on the brief listing could possibly be Jake Peetz. The 41-year previous Peetz interviewed for the offensive coordinator emptiness final 12 months earlier than the group employed Coen.
Peetz spent the 2024 season because the Seahawks go recreation coordinator working with Ryan Grubb, who was fired after Seattle missed the playoffs. With the Seahawks searching for a brand new offensive coordinator, Peetz’s standing with the group could possibly be in limbo.
Like Coen, Peetz hung out with Sean McVay and the Rams. He was an offensive assistant in 2022 after which changed Coen as L.A.’s go recreation specialist in 2023 when Coen went to Kentucky to be the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator.
Peetz has one 12 months of play-calling expertise in 2021 at LSU beneath former head coach Ed Orgeron the place he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. That 12 months quarterback Max Johnson, the son of former Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson, threw 27 landing passes, which ranks fourth in LSU historical past in a single season. Working again Ty Davis-Worth set the only recreation LSU speeding report in a victory versus Florida with 287 yards and three touchdowns.
Rams head coach Sean McVay and Jake Peetz – Photograph by: USA Right now
Peetz has principally labored on the offensive aspect of the ball in his teaching profession, which started in 2006 at Santa Barbara Metropolis School. After a one-year stint as a defensive assistant at UCLA, Peetz went to work for Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as an assistant QBs coach in 2012. He then labored for Jay Gruden with the Washington Redskins in 2014 as an offensive high quality management coach.
Peetz spent three years with Del Rio once more, this time in Oakland from 2015-17 the place he was a senior offensive assistant, an assistant QBs coach, and a quarterbacks coach for Derek Carr. After that, he spent one 12 months in 2018 with Nick Saban at Alabama as an offensive analyst, which was a job he additionally had for one season in 2013 with the Crimson Tide.
Peetz was again within the NFL in Carolina in 2019 and 2020 as a working backs coach working with All-Professional Christian McCaffrey and a quarterbacks coach in these two seasons. He additionally spent 4 years in Jacksonville’s personnel division as a scout from 2008-11.
Peetz is seen as a younger, up-and-comer simply ready for his alternative to name performs on the NFL stage. Type of like Josh Grizzard, but in addition type of like Dave Canales and Coen.
