The Buccaneers have moved quickly to round out coach Lovie Smith’s first staff, hiring offensive and defensive coordinators quickly and then adding 11 other coaches in the middle of last week.
They’re up to 12 assistants with the announcement that Gill Byrd will be the team’s cornerbacks coach. Like several other members of the staff, Byrd and Smith have worked together in the past.
Byrd worked for Smith in Chicago for seven years, rising from a quality control coach to safeties coach for the final five years of Smith’s tenure with the Bears. The move to cornerbacks coach with the Bucs has Byrd overseeing players at the same position he played well enough to finish his career as the Chargers’ franchise leader in interceptions. Byrd, who made two Pro Bowls in his 10-year career, still holds that mark after picking off 42 passes in his career.
Byrd’s son is Bills safety Jairus Byrd, who is set to be a free agent this offseason after being named to the third Pro Bowl of his career. Unless the Bucs decide to make a radical move away from Mark Barron or Dashon Goldson, however, there’s not much chance of a family reunion.