Getty ImagesThe Buccaneers are hiring Southern Miss head coach Todd Monken to be their offensive coordinator. The team has announced the move, adding that Monken also will coach the team’s receivers.
Monken previously worked under Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter on the Jaguars staff when Koetter was the offensive coordinator and Monken was the wide receivers coach.
Koetter plans to call his own plays.
Monken, who turns 50 next month, took over at Southern Miss after an 0-12 season in 2012. He guided the Golden Eagles to the Conference USA title game and a bowl game last season. His only previous NFL experience was with the Jaguars from 2007-10.
He was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma State in 2011-12 before taking over at Southern Miss.
Oklahoma State ended up 3rd in the nation with a record of 11-1 that year. Good credentials. Hope to see a more aggressive attack this year.
My first reaction was puzzlement, but upon seeing he’s been in the NFL before under Koetter, that he will also be the receivers coach in Tampa, and that Koetter will still call the plays, I like this move. He clearly is a student of Koetter’s offense, and the WRs for the Bucs need some extra attention to synch up with Jaemeis…the Bucs will very likely be looking for slot WR and perhaps even a #2 in free agency to backstop Vincent Jackson and compete with Louis Murphy…I don’t think they are pleased with Mike Herron and Humphries doesn’t really fit the scheme–he’s too small to work opposite Mike Evans….who also needs a world of coaching. Good hire.
Good coach. Larry Fedora and Monken are both good coaches.
He would be an excellent coach with swagger. I remember him being hard on the WRs when he was the Jags.
Its a good hire.
A head coach of a successful Conf USA program leaves to be an OC in the NFL who won’t call plays? He was purportedly making $700K at So Miss, plus a free car, several bonuses, and outside income from TV / radio shows, etc. is he going to make that in the NFL as a glorified WR coach? Is so, it’s a great deal for him. If not, I wonder if the NCAA is knocking on the door in Hattiesburg.
My daughter is a graduate of Southern Miss and she is thrilled at this move ….. for the Bucs. She said he did a very good job of turning around the Golden Eagles and, hopefully, will move the Bucs in the right direction. We have some very good, young receivers, and they need to be coached aggressively.
I had the privilege of catching passes from “Monk” in junior high thru high school. The guy I came to know was very competitive, very driven, and also very honest. I just don’t think he left SMISS to run from any whispers of NCAA investigation-he coaches by the rules …My hunch is he has aspirations of becoming an NFL head coach,in spite of his significant college coaching experience..so this move gets him back in the pro game, and could potentially get him some head coaching interviews . Bucs Nation, you are getting a very bright football mind, and I can tell you from experience that your receivers and your entire passing game will take a huge step forward with this hire!