After firing Raheem Morris, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers embarked on a lengthy coaching search in which they publicly identified several candidates, brought some of them in for multiple interviews, and then hired a guy no one had mentioned as a possibility.
But even though none of us knew Greg Schiano was a candidate for the job, the Bucs now say that it was clear from their search that he was the right man for it.
“We are thrilled to introduce Coach Schiano as the new head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” Bucs Co-Chairman Joel Glazer said. “During our thorough search, we met with numerous impressive candidates, but Coach Schiano surely distinguished himself. From his leadership skills to his impressive track record, he is, simply put, the right man for the job.”
Schiano was apparently the Bucs’ second choice after another college coach, Chip Kelly, turned them down. The Bucs now say they see Schiano as a man capable of doing what the Buccaneers’ first coach, John McKay, did: Leave a successful career as a college coach behind and find success in the NFL. The Bucs just have to hope Schiano gets off to a slightly faster star than McKay, who lost his first 26 games before leading the Bucs to the playoffs three times.